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20 Great Computer Games You Must Have!

May 1988

The Leading Magazine of Home, Educational, and Recreationai Computing

HIT THE R0A9!

6 HOT LAPTOPS

Whicli Portabie
Fits Your
Budget?

smmm ^

Dozens of Computer

Activities for

You and Your Kids

PERSONAL

FINANCE

SPECIAL

• Facts & Figures on
76 Super Programs

• Expert Reveals
What to Look For

PLUS

More Reviews!
New Columns!
Latest News on
Your Favorite System

0 "7U86"02193""3

BUYS,
PWKI FREE!

We're sure that amongst all these choices,
there's one that you'd like to pick - for free. So, go
ahead - exercise your free choice by visitirig your
nearest retailer Buy any two of these best-selling
Electronic Arts products between April 1 1988 and
June 30, 1988 - and pick a third one for free!

To redeem your free software, simply fill out
either your retailer's coupon or the coupon in this
ad, and mail it with proofs of purchase (see re-
quirements on coupon) along with S3 per free
product for shipping and handling (US, Funds). If
you can't find a participating retailer, order direct
by calling 800-245-4525 throughout the U5. and
Canada. Just tell us which products you want to
buy. and what you wont for free. Have your
Visa/MC numbers ready.

YOUR CHOICES

• Amnesia

• Instant Pages

• B/Graph

• Arcticfox

• IntelliType

• The Consultant

• The Bard's Tale

• legacy of the Ancients

• DEGAS Elite

• The Bard's Tale II

• Marble Madness

• DiskTools Rus

• Chuck Yeagefs AFT

• Patten vs. Rommel

• Homepak

• Deathlord

• PHM Pegasus

* IS Talk

• Demon Stalkers

• Return to Atlantis

• Outrageous Pages

• Dragon's Lair

• Skate or Die

• PaperCJIp Publisher

• Eari Weaver Baseball

• Skyfox H

• Paperclip with Speilpak

• EOS: Earth Orbit Stations

•Starflight

• ft3pefCllp III

• Get Organized

• Strike Fleet

• Thunder!

• GrandSlam Bridge

• World Tour Golf

• Timelink

• Instant Music

Product availability varies by computer format.
Ask your retailer or coll (415) 572-2787 for detaila

AND YOUR

Choose from our Deluxe Creativity Series for your purchase prodxts. Or,
redeem free Deluxe software wt>en you buy any t>vo of these Deluxe products:

• DeluxeMusic
Construction Set

• DeluxePaint

• DeluxePaint I

• DeiuxeProductions

• DeluxeVldeo

ELECTRONIC ARTS®

All products are registered/trademarks of Electronic Arts.

Please send rny free software to the totowing oddfesi I have
enciosed the reqiied pcDOft of pachose (spedfed below) and S3
(check or money ofdef poyabte to EJectionic Arts) tor s^ipping ond
handling.

Address.
CitY__

. Stote_

.2p.

\^ free sofhiwDie cho*ce .
The computer I own

PROOF Of PURCHASE REOIlf^EMENIS: Send the foftowiog orig^Kd i-ems T>me
elated cosh registef fqpe(s) Of sdes receipts) skMlng the two products you pur*
chased. OAd 2) find tt)e Commorxi Sijmmary Ccad Of the Monool (where no Cofn-
msrti Sumnrary Cord extets) inside eoch paci<age, ojt off the port nurrtier on the
bock, lower portion of the Cord or Monudl

MAIL TQ Etecfionic Alt. BUY Z PCK 1 FREE, RQ Box 7530. 5c3fi Mctea CA 94401
Onty volkl requests postmorted by Jufy IS. 1988 wi be hoooted. AJow 3-6 weeks
fof deJivery.

I FEATURES

MAY
1988

VOLUME 10

NUMBER 5

ISSUE 96

REVIEWS

Fast Looks

Ticket to London

Ed Ferrell

Border Zone

Scott Thomas.

Taking It on the Road

Six of the best battery-powered
laptop computers surveyed.

Arlan Levitan „_^-

Kids, Computers, and Summer
Vacation

Dozens of ideas and activities for

a fun-filled computerized

suramsx, I Fred Dlgnazio 22

Our Favorite Games

Twenty great computer games you

shouldn't be without.

Editors 12

The Automatic Shoebox

What to look for in personal
& finance management software,
A Conversation with Andrew
Tobias./AT^/rA Ferrell 42

Buyer's Guide

Personal Finance Software.
Facts and figures about 76
financial packages for your own
bottom line.
Caroline D. Hanlon

The Commodore 128D

Clifton Karnes

Star Trek: The Rebel Universe

Neil Randall

Robotic Workshop

Keith Ferrell

Airborne Ranger

Robert Bixby _

I COLUMNS

Dream Zone

James V. Trunzo .

Print Magic

Duncan Teague —

Gee Bee Air Rally

Rhett Anderson =

Quattro

J. Blake Lambert ,

Editorial License

We've changed COMPUTE!; here's
why, and what to expect in months
to come./Gregg Keizer 4

News & Notes

Computer sales up, Soviet
software invades the U.S., video-
game explosion, and more.
Editors . ^^_ 6

Gameplay

Change history with Balance of
Power and President Elect,
Orson Scott Card .

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COMPUTE! SPECIFIC

Impact

Only important software alters the

way we think of computers.

David D. Thornburg 10

Discoveries

Computers in schools— have they
lived up to the promises made?
David Stanton 86

Levitations

Our free-form columnist takes his
first bow./Arlan Levitan 94

Letters

Tefl us what you think.

Editors

New Products!

New software, new hardware.
Editors

MS-DOS

Clifton Karnes _

64 & 128

Neil Randalls

Apple II

Gregg Keizer

Amiga

Rhett Anderson .

Macintosh

Sharon Zardetto Aker .

Atari ST

David Plotkin __^

Hints & Tips

Editors

Cover illustration: Lee Noeh Jr.

SS^n mI^ n^ ^^?^o?i2f ^«^-J?t?* Home, Educational, and Recreational Computing {USPS: S37250) is published monthly by COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., 825 7th /We,, New York, NY
1001 9 USA. ™ne. (212 265-83&0. Editorial Offices are located at 324 West Wendover A/enue. Greensboro. NO 27408. Domestic Subscriptians: 12 issues. S24, POSTMASTER: Send address
o^^i']ifixl?*rPP ^^' Magazine, PC, Box 10955. Des Moines. lA 50950. Second class postage paid at New York. NY and additional mailing offices. Entire contents copyriqht ©1988 by
COMPUTE! Pubbcations, Inc. All rights reserved, ISSN 0194-357X. h/ a ir

We Changed

Because We

Saw You

Changing. It's

That Simple.

GREGG KEIZER

We've changed.
When you flip through the pages
of this issue, the first thing youMl
notice is a new, clean layout and design.
Thanks to the expert guidance of our art di-
rector, Janice Fary, the magazine is easier to
read, easier to use, easier to digest. COM-
PUTEf's contemporary look reflects, we
think, our philosophy of providing the most
up-to-date information about computers
and how to put that information to use.

Which brings us to an even more fun-
damental difference. Over the last decade,
COMPUTE! has published the highest qual-
ity software available in print form. With
this issue, however, COMPUTE! magazine
begins a new era, one that doesn't include
type-in programs.

As computers and software have grown
more powerful, weVc realized it's not possi-
ble to offer top quality type-in programs for
ail machines. And we also realize that you're
less inclined to type in those programs.
You're more interested in hands-on fea-
tures, dependable and forthright product re-
views, and insightful columns. We've
changed because we saw you changing. If s
that simple. After all, our job is to give you
the kind of information vou want.

We believe that the new COMPUTE!
will make the time you spend on your com-
puter more interesting, more worthwhile,
and more productive. And we think that the
package we've put together does that better
than any other consumer computer magazine.

COMPUTE! w\\\ include more feature
articles, written by authors old and new to
the magazine — practical features that dem-
onstrate the power of personal computers,
that show you how you can use the machine
to educate, entertain, produce, and process.
Well-written articles show you how to use
your computer, not how one person far re-
moved from your experience may use il.
This issue, we're showing you a bit of every-
thing— a preview of what to expect from
COMPUTE! features. Hardware guru Arlan
Levitan looks at laptops; educational com-
puting expert Fred D'Ignazio shows how
summertime can be fun with a computer;
and our games-crazed staff picks its 20 fa-
vorite computer diversions.

There will be a complete buyer's guide
in each issue to help you find, and then buy,
the right software for your computer. This
month, for instance, we offer a comprehen-
sive listing of personal finance packages. Next
month, flight simulators. The month after
that sports games. And so on.

We*re doubling the number of our prod-
uct reviews, adding hardware evaluations on
a regular basis, and changing the focus of
those reviews to give you solid information
about the software that you want to buy, not
the software we want to hype. We'll review
programs like Quaitro because many of you
work in the home. Ticket to London because
you and your children want to learn with the
computer, and GeeBee Air Rally because
everyone likes to have fun.

COMPUTE! has always been known for
its recognized columnists, and we're not go-
ing to change that. "Gameplay," our new
entertainment column, is written by Orson
Scott Card, an award-winning science-fiction
writer who has a keen eye for what makes or
breaks a game. We're also debuting '* Dis-
coveries," David Stanton's educational
computing column and '"Levitations," our
free-form column that reports on almost
anything connected with personal computers
and their users. And though we've changed
the name of his column, we're keeping David
Thornburg's refreshing look into both the
near and the distant future of computers.

Even though we no longer carry type-in
software specific to each kind of computer,
we do give you computer-specific infor-
mation in the new COMPUTE! Specific de-
partment. If you own an Amiga, Apple II,
Atari ST, Commodore 64 or 128, IBM PC
or compatible, or Macintosh personal com-
puter, you'll find this new section an invalu-
able fount of product information, news,
and application hints and tips. Here you'll
read about everything from an IBM PC virus
to Commodore 64 emulators for the Amiga.

Rounding out the magazine are such
things as ''News & Notes," full of industry
news — the serious and the humorous — that
appeals to anyone who owns a computer;
letters to the editor; technical and program-
ming hints and tips; and a stronger new
products listing.

We like what we're oflering, and we
hope you do, too. If you like using your per-
sonal computer, want to know more about
computers and how to put them to work
(and play!), then you've got the right maga-
zine in your hands. Stay with us, and stay on
this unique road of discovery as we see what
lies ahead.

(/^^ Y-^^^>-

Editor

COMPUTE

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On-saeen menus provide ''at-a-glance" summaries of the features of the program.
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A multi-purpose program w^ch simplifies the ston^e, seleaion, and reporting of
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types of information.

Easy Working "; The Planner^':

The Planner provides you widi ail of the professional fcauires of an electronic ^read-
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The Writer, The Filer, and The Planner My
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Available at fine software dealers or for
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Apple II +, lie, Uc $9.95

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IBM/POAT $9.95

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mws&'notes

No Crash
in Computers

Even though the stock market
look the big dive last October
1 9, even though many analysts
are calling for a slowdown in
the economy (or worse, a pos-
sible recession, or for the real
doom-sayers, a depression),
personal computer hardware
and software sales are expected
to remain strong and grow
stronger.

Almost everyone is ex-
pecting 1 988 to be a good year.
Microsoft, the number one
software publisher, predicts
that sales of personal comput-
ers will rise 26 percent in their
current fiscal year (July 1987
to June 1988). Since Microsoft
is the supplier of MS-DOS, the
operating system for IBM PCs
and compatibles, it should
have a good idea of sales
strength.

Apple Computer also sees
a year of growth. John Sculley,
Apple's chairman and CEO,
recently told a group of ana-
lysts that his company foresees
an increase of 30 percent in
personal computer sales dol-
lars this year. Obviously, Ap-
ple hopes a big pan of that
increase is spent on Macintosh
computers.

Fourth^uarter sales for
both Apple and personal com-
puter powerhouse IBM
showed that lots of people and
businesses paid little attention
to the market's crash. IBM's fi-
nal quarter was 6.3 percent
better than last year's, while
Apple's was a whopping 57
percent higher.

At the consumer end of
things, retail giant Sears,
Roebuck, 8l Co. projects a 10-
percent growth in its computer
sales. That's double the in-
crease in 1 987. And home
computer hardware and soft-

e COMPUTE!

90.000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40.000
30,000
20.000
10,000

.'^:--

COMPUnR SAU8

ware sales, says the Electronic
Industries Association, will be
better this year than last.
Home computer sales will be
up 12'/2 percent, while software
sales should jump 25 percent,
says the Association.

But it's difficult to explain
why businesses and consumers
are still going after big-ticket
items like computers. One rea-
son may be that several com-
puter companies — ^Apple and
IBM in particular — are com-
ing off a year in which they in-
troduced new and more
powerful models that have
caught everyone's eyes. Price
cutting is another possible con-
tributor, especially in the IBM-
compatible market, where
clone manufacturers continue
to offer more machine for less
and less money. Home com-
puter sales may be up because
many people will have a bit
more money this year, since
the tax cuts take eftect And
some businesses may see addi-
tional personal computers as a
way to make their operations
more productive, an impor-
tant consideration if there is a
down turn in the economy.

— Gregg Keizer

Game of Gfasnosf, Comrade?

The first entertainment soft-
ware designed in the Soviet
Union is now available in the
U.S. for IBM and Commodore
64 computers. Called Telris^
the game is a cross between
arcade-style action and strate-
gy- Tetris was designed by 30-
year-old Alexi Paszitnov, a

Tetris begins the U.S.S.R/s quest
for software dominance.

researcher at the U.S.S.R.
Academy of Scientists {.Acade-
my Soft); it was programmed by
1 8->^r-old Vagjm Gerasimov,
a student of computer informat-
ics at Moscow University.

The premise of the game
is deceptively simple: Four
squares, in various configUTB-
tions, drop from the top of the

screen toward the bottom. The
player rotates and flips the
pieces as they descend in order
to form complete horizontal
rows where they land— with
no blank spaces.

Tetris reached the West
after the head of Academy Soft
sent a copy of the program to a
Hungarian programming
company. Novotradc.
which has produced soft-
ware for British and
American publishers
for the past five years.
Spectrum HoioByte
is making it a corner-
stone of the company's
new International Series
of entertainment software.

For the American
version of Tetris, a
Spectrum HoloBylc
development team re-
wrote the program, incorporating
colorful background scenes repre-
senting Gorky Park, Red Square.
and other Soviet views.

The IBM version of the
game has a suggested retail price
of $34.95, while the Commo-
dore 64 version is priced at
S24.95.

— Selby Bateman

PRESENTING TECHNOIOGY THAT LETS YOU
PROGRAM YOUR OWN DESTINY.

Electronics and computer equipment can be
state-of-the-art today. And ready for the garbage
can tomorrow.

Demand for technology is changing that fast.

And the people who can stay on top of it can
write their own ticket in this world.

That's the beauty of the Air Force.

We can put you to work with technology that
you may not read about in magazines for years.

We can teach you how to make sense of the

most intimidating circuitry in existence anywhere.

If you attend college, we'll pick up 75% of
your tuition. You can even earn an associate degree
from the Community College of the Air Force.

What does all that mean?

It means there's no telling where technology
is going in the future.

But with Air Force training, youVe always got
a future to look forward to. For more information,
call an Air Force recruiter at 1-800-423-USAF

iwm^notes

Computer Games
Go VCR; Teenage
Boys Hit the Couch

irs a firsi. The popular Caiifor-
nia Games from Epyx has been
transformed into a VCR game
by the company's new Con-
sumer Electronics Division.
VCR California Games is one
of three new VCR game ven-
tures being tried by Epyx, a
company best known for its en-
tertainment computer software.
Marrying elements of vid-
eo and board gameplay, I CR
California Games begins with
players who arc oul of money
but are in a race to reach San
Diego from San Francisco. To
make enougli money for gas
and car repairs, contestants
take to the surll^oard, skate-
board, sailboard. and other to-
tally Californian devices,
hoping for big prize money
and instant fame. Al various

Calif ornia Games is one of three VCR games thai Epyx is
hoping will keep you in front of the tube, not the computer.

places on the board game,
players turn on the VCR and
watch the action as surfers
wipe out. skateboarders skate
or die, and BMX bikers fly
through I he air.

Patterned after the hit
computer game of the same
name, I CR California Games
obviously hopes to tap into the

huge VCR audience, which in-
cludes far more households
than the home computer mar-
ketplace. Other games planned
for release are T'Ci? Golf and
Play AC! ion ICR FoorbaiL A
second line of games uses au-
dio tapes for play-by-play
highlights.

Epyx may be basing iis

VCR expectations on the re-
sults of a survey the company
recently conducted which said
that I he majority of boys be-
tween 12 and 18 — typically the
group most taken with com-
puter action entertainment
software — would rather watch
TV than play sports.

The survey of LOGO teen-
age boys may not be an accu-
rate depiction of American teen
behavior, but it makes interest-
ing reading nonetheless. Slanted
toward electronic entertain-
ment (75 percent said they
bought computer games, while
less than 20 percent of Ameri-
can households own a com-
puter), the surv*ey reported a
stunning 35 percent relaxed by
watching TV. Playing sports
was a distant second at 18 per-
cent, while using a computer
came in third at 13 percent.

— Gregg Keizer
coniinmd on page 87

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ORSON SCOTT CARD

Do You Want

to Change the

World? Two

Games Let

You Try.

Histor>' is the toughest game to create
on the computer. By comparison,
football is pretty easy to get right.
Eleven guys per team, four downs to get ten
yards.

But history — the rules keep changing.

The problem with histor>' is it only hap-
pens once. We can never go back and run it
over again to see what would happen with a
few changes. What if Nixon had won in
1960, or Humphrey in 1968? What if Jerr>'
Brown had been the Democratic nominee in
1976, or Gary Hart in 1984?

Nor can we ever know how close to
World War III we really were in 1952 or
1962. Did Truman save us from a hideous
war with China, or needlessly surrender half
of Korea to a totalitarian state? Did our safety
really depend on Kennedy staring down the
Russians over Cuban missiles in 1 962?

Impossible to know. And yet two recent
computer games. President Elect (Strategic
Simulations: 1988 edition) and Balance of
Power (Mindscape), dare to take on exactly
those questions.

President Elect lets you replay ever\'
election since 1 960. You may choose from
all the candidates in each of those elections.
Playing against the computer or a human
opponent, you can tr\' to outwit history.

See if you can manage Humphrey's
campaign in 1968 belter than he did. Or tr>'
a fantasy election: Robert Kennedy against
Richard Nixon in 1968, for instance, or
something really strange, like John Glenn
against Ronald Reagan in 1972, with Jesse
Jackson running a third-party campaign.

The toughest test of all? Out-guess the
future. The 1988 edition of President Elect
offers all of this year's candidates — along
with a few who. played coy too long or
backed out early. By evaluating candidates'
personal strengths and weaknesses, and their
positions on various issues, the gamewrights
let you hold your own test elections.

How would Gore do against Bush, if
the economy is soft and public morale is
down? What about Gephardt against Dole?
Cuomo against Kirkpatrick? You can play
them all.

.And, in one sense, the simulation
works. I found myself following the game's
poll results with the same kind of interest I
feel about the real thing. Election day, with
the returns trickling in, was almost as tense
as the real thing.

But what really impressed me about
President Elect was its faithfulness to the
way presidential politics really seem to

work. The strongest forces are completely
out of the players' control.

Is the national morale high or low? Is
the economy booming or collapsing? Candi-
dates ultimately can't overcome such pow-
erful forces.

But that's the way it works in the real
world. The game is only a contest of skill
and judgment when you set it up to be pret-
ty even — a middling economy, no incum-
bent, two moderates.

I found few false notes in President
Elect — and their guesses about 1988 have
held up pretty well so far.

I only wish they had spent as much
effort on the design of the game. The worst
annoyances? The game won't let you change
your mind about anything once a choice is
made: the map that shows how different
states are leaning isn't on the screen when
you have to make campaign decisions.

Compare President Elect with a beauti-
fully designed game like Balance of Power,
though, and you begin to realize that while
bad design can be annoying, bad histor\'
makes a game unplayable.

Balance of Power is a Risk-like game
about the contest between the U.S. and the
Soviet Union for world domination. You
give aid here, send a few troops there — al-
ways with the possibility of nuclear war
looming over you tike a shadow.

Unfortunately, you ver>' quickly realize
that the shadow is really Chris Crawford,
leaning over your shoulder and bullying you
into playing the game his way. He has a
sweet delusion that as long as the United
States is very nice and doesn't do anything
to offend them, the Russians will all go
home. And if you don't play that way, why,
he'll stop the game with a nasty remark
about how the world was just destroyed by
nuclear wan

The trouble is, since we've never had a
nuclear war. there's no way Crawford can
possibly know what would cause one. And
there are a lot of experts who claim that the
Soviets seem to behave a lot nicer when we
stand up to them than when we disarm.

Maybe Crawford is right. But then, may-
be he isn't. And in the meantime, he's so sure
he's right that Balance of Power isn't a game,
it's propaganda. Imagine what President Elect
would be like if Republicans always won, and
you'll know why Balance of Power fails.

Too bad, because Crawford is the best
designer of simulation games I've seen. But
when it comes to history, you just can't de-
sign a good game by grinding an ax. El

MAY 1988

impact

-/ DAVID D.THOI

DAVID D. THORNBURG

Only Software

That Creates

New

Metaphors Can

Change the

Way We Use

Computers

According to legend, the Roman god
Janus opened the door to each new
year. He is represented with two
heads because ever>' door looks both ways.

I was thinking about Janus the other day
when I realized that there are two aspects to
our use of personal computers. We use com-
puters both to look backward lo our past way
of doing things, and to look forward to new
w^ays of working, learning, and playing. Each
time we use a computer, we look through
time's door in one direction or the other.

My major personal computer applica-
tion is word processing. When 1 use a word
processor Tm looking backward, using the
computer to accomplish tasks that are per-
formed by older technologies — typewriters,
typesetting equipment, and so on. Of course
the computer has advantages over these, or I
wouldn't use it. As writing tools, computers
do the job much better than these older
tools. What the computer lacks in novelty, it
more than makes up for in efficiency.

Other backward-looking applications
are abundant: Graphics programs, account-
ing packages, and music-transcription soft-
ware are all examples of ways computers
can be used to look back through time's
door to perform tasks that we can relate to
in numerous concrete ways.

The concrete connection between some
computer applications and the types of tasks
we used to perform without computers
makes this technology easy to justify and ap-
ply. When we're told about a new word pro-
cessor, it's easy to generate a set of criteria
by which to judge the program before we
even take it out of the box.

When computers are being used to per-
form tasks that are new to us, we have no
frame of reference. How would you establish
the criteria forjudging the world's first inter-
active adventure game, for example, or a
mouse-driven musical instrument?

Computer applications that look forward
are exciting, but they provide special chal-
lenges to users and software developers alike.

The major problem from the develop-
ers point of view is marketing. How can
you convey the usefulness of a program that
does something no one has seen before? The
most common approach is to express the
program's function with a metaphor. Some-
times this works and sometimes it doesn't.

I remember sitting in a meeting during
the late 1 970s discussing a forthcoming
product called VisiCalc, No one had any
idea of how to describe the product, the first
electronic spreadsheet, to potential custom-

ers. Someone called it an electronic black-
board; someone else suggested calculator ar-
ray. There was no clearly understandable
metaphor that captured the essence of this
product until someone noted that the
spreadsheet, known to accountants, was
close enough to convey at least one of the
program's applications.

Another example of a new computer
application came in 1 984 with the introduc-
tion ofFilevision for the Macintosh. This
program was the first commercial hypertext
database — although this term was unknown
to most computei owners at the time. I re-
member watching a computer salesman try
in vain to explain what Filevision did. He
called it a combination of a graphics pro-
gram (old metaphor) with a database (old
metaphor). Now that Apple has released
HyperCard, the public's awareness of hyper-
media is high enough to support products of
this type.

It takes a brave soul to be among the
first to adopt a new technology, even though
pioneers often end up at a tremendous ad-
vantage over their more conservative peers.
I've often started working with a new class
of software only to find applications for it
that were not foreseen by the original devel-
opers. The problem with being innovative is
that new applications rarely sell well enough
to become commercial successes in their
first year. Many small, innovative compa-
nies don't have the resources to wail until
the world understands their new product.

We'll always use computers to perform
old tasks, but it's important to realize that
the advantages of using computers in this
way are incremental. We may not like living
without a word processor, but most of us
could use a typewriter again if we had to.

Completely new applications for com-
puters, however, have the capacity to allow
major modifications in how we work, learn,
and play. It's through the creation of new
computational metaphors (almost all of
which are created by small companies) that
computer technology will influence our lives
in the coming years.

Computers are like Janus — they look
forward and backward in time. If you expect
the computer to be a power tool in your life,
be sure that some of your programs look for-
ward, not backward. E

David Thornburg welcomes letters from readers
and can be reached at P.O. Box 1317, Los Altos,
California 94023.

COMPUTE!

Th* l*4d^ MogoalfW Of H>om«, iilucallonal, And B*cf*ett«fio) C«nifHif^

Editor

Art Director

Features Editor

Assistant Editors

Assistant Features Editor

Buyer's Guide Coordinator

Edttonal Assistant

Copy Editors

Staff Contributors

Contributing Editors

Gregg Keizer
Janice R. Fary
Ketth Ferrell
Rhett Anderson
Clifton Karnes
Tom Netsel
Caroline Hanlon
Mickey McLean
Karen Siepak
Lort Sonoski
Tammie Taylor
Karen Uhlendorf
Rob Bixby
WilUam Chin
Todd Heimarck
David Hensley
Dale McBene
Randy Thompson
Lynne Weatherman
Arlan Levitan
David Thornburg

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Associate Art Director Lee Noel, Jr.

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Assistant Production Manager De Potter

Typesetting Carole Dunton

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Senior Vice-Preskdent.

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^ers

Computer Drama

I believe thai the computer software
and hardware induslries should address
two things: a flexible word processing
program which permits easy and quick
formatting of scripts and plays, and a
full 60-coiumn screen so we will be able
to see an entire page without incessant
scrolling.

Considering how much software
and hardware comes out of California. I
am surprised that nobody has done just
this for TV and movie script writing,

Clement G. Scerback
Seminole, Florida

More on CD-ROM

I was horrified to read Phil Nelson's
comment in the Februar>' COMPUTE!
that "in the meantime, there are exactly
two CD-ROM applications for mi-
cros— ^the American Heritage encyclo-
pedia and Microsoft Bookshelf— holh
for the IBM PC/^

First, there are more than two ap-
plications. The August 1987 issue of
CD-ROM Review listed 100 titles.
Some may be vaporware, and some are
not yet available, but there are certainly
more than two available. As an ex-
ample, for librarians there are Books in
Print, Ulrich 's International Periodicals
Director\\ and Reader's Guide to Peri-
odical Literature. In addition, one us-
er's group has a disc that contains more
than 600 floppies worth of public do-
main software, and last spring I played
with ERIC (an index to educational
material) and a medical index.

Second, I believe that Nelson
meant the GroYicr Americana Encyclo-
pedia. Both may be available, but I've
only seen the Grolier one.

Third, of course they are only
available for the IBM PC. Most of the
material is business-oriented. This isn't
surprising, considering the cost of the
CD-ROM players.

Ken Bullock
Medicine Hat. Alberta, Canada

Computing for the
Handicapped

I am currently working with severe and
profound mentally and physically
handicapped adults. I am using a Com-
modore 64 and a Commodore 128. The
computer is used to teach skills such as
attending and matching concepts.

I would be interested in sharing
ideas, problems, concerns, and pro-
grams with others who have written
programs, or are using computers as a
teaching aid, for mentally handicapped
individuals.

Robert D. Gunn

IS37Carlyle

y Beatrice, NE 68310

The British Invasion

I read your magazine often, though
sometimes I can't get it. I am a British
reader who lives abroad.

This letter concerns the U.S. game
market. The first thing I would like to
say is that the games are appalling
there. In my opinion, the U.S. has only
five good game producers: Epyx, Ac-
cess, Accolade, SSI, and MicroProse.

This brings me to my next point.
Your reviewers are missing something.
It seems that the best games that U.S.
companies are selling are from the U.K.
Fve had many of the "new games" that
are being advertised now for six
months. Your reviewers hardly ever
mention this fact.

Great Britain is also way ahead in
arcade conversions. Fm sure that many
people have heard of Run, Ciysor, and
The Last Mission, These games are al-
ready being converted to home com-
puter games.

In summary, I'll say that if you
want good games, go to the U.K,

A. Blake Davies
Duba i, United A rab Em i rates

MAY 1986

The best burger in town. The best plumber around.
Everyone likes to make "Best of" lists.
The editors at COMPUTE! are no exception.
Here's our first Best list — 20 computer games

no one should be without.

Think back to the first program you bought for
your compuler. Chances are it was a game.
Maybe it was a rock-'n'-rollin' arcade game that
nearly tore your joystick apart. Or perhaps it
was a thought-provoking simulation that included a man-
ual three inches thick and three pounds heavy. Whatever
its form, il was strictly entertainment.

Personal computers may be terrific number crunch-
ers, word processors, drawing lools, and file organizers,
but they're also premiere game players and presenters.
Thousands of games can only be played with a computer.
Without computers, for instance, there would have been
no Pong, no Pac-Man, no Space Invaders, Simply put.
there would have been less fun in the world.

Computers are fun. We can't forget that. If we do, we
run the risk of forfeiting our machines to the dr>', the dull,
and the dreary.

Our Favorites, Maybe Yours

With some discussion, some debate, and some shouting,
we picked 20 great computer games, games that are a step
above superior. Almost everyone around here is a com-
puter game player (sometimes to the detriment of work).
Most of us play games on a wide variety of computers. We
play games on ever^'thing from the venerable Commodore
64 and Apple lie to the state-of-the-art Amiga, Macintosh.
Atari ST, and 386 PC. We play on IBM PCs. PC-compati-
bles, and clones. Name a personal computer that has had
entertainment software and weVe played on it.

Our criterion for selecting these 20 games was sim-
ple— if it's listed, we think it's a great game. But what
makes a game great? Lots of things, really, but they in-
clude playability (how well does it play?), depth of play
(how long can you play before you get bored?), graphics
and animation (how good does it look?), game concept (is
it unusual, out of the ordinary?), and popularity (if lens of
thousands play the game, it must be good). Answer yes to
these questions, and youVc got yourself a game worth
playing.

All these games, with one exception, are available.
Look for them in local software stores or from mail order
companies, or contact the publisher directly. You may be
able to find the out-of-print game by scanning user group
newsletter classified ads. talking to other computer users,
or going to small computer fairs and shows.

We hope our picks confirm your suspicions, that you
agree with our 20 choices. And if you discover a new game
here, so much the belter. It means we've done our job.

COMPUTE!

\ -

^ J, j.'
■» ■». ^

1 *

^''^:

:-_^

^•S:-

.^1

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: 4

It's possible, of course, that weVe left out a few of
your favorites. Let us know if we have. Tell us which
games vow think should be in the Top 20. Write us — Fa-
vorite Games, COMPUTE! MagELzine, 324 W. Wendover
Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408— and tell us
we're on target or way off base. If s your chance to make
the next "Best ofMist.

Balance of Power

Go eyeball to eyeball with the Soviets (or with the Ameri-
cans) and see who blinks first. Mindscape's Balance of
Power, the game that made Chris Crawford famous, is an
impressive recreation of the world's geopolitical landscape
as viewed from one of the two superpowers. You desper-
ately try to avoid nuclear conflagration as you advance
your own ideology. With tools like money, guns, troops,
treaties, diplomatic pressure, and dirty tricks, you coax
third world nations to your side. All the while you're put-
ting the pressure on the Soviets and their clients. Crisis
management is the key to winning. Back down at the
wrong time and you'll lose the game. Call one too many
bluffs and you'll see the chilling message You have ignited
a nuclear war.

— Gregg Keizer

Beach-Head

Travel by land and sea. battling the opposition in a quest
to locate and conquer the enemy fortress of Kuhn-Lin.
Beach-Head, a popular Access release of old, was a pio-
neer for computer combat action games. It was one of the
first to combine multiple screens of arcade-style battle
with the rudiments of strategic planning. In the fast-action
scenes, you find yourself in the heat of battle, facing ships,
aircraft and tanks head-on. To locate the fortress, you
must advance through three screens, employing a variety
of tactics in each. Good graphics and sound contribute to
the game's play. Beach-Head spawned many imitators, as
well as a popular sequel. Few, however, ever matched the
excitement generated by this classic original

— David Hensle\\ Jr.

California Games

Surfs up! And so is the level of excitement in California
Games, the best of Epyx's Games series. This time, in-
stead of competing for Olympic gold and glory, players are
challenged to tackle a variety of classic West Coast sports:
surfing, flying disc loss, skateboarding, BMX bicycles,
footbag, and roller skating. Each event is beautifully ren-
dered, with terrific animation and some of the smoothest
joystick control seen. Game play is easy at first, yet satisfy-
ingly difficult to master. Repeat playabiHty is high.

Perhaps more important is the game's sheer exuber-
ance. It's nice to know that, via the computer, there's a
California where the skies are always blue, the surf perpet-
ually gnarly, and the competition totally tubular.

—Keith Ferrell

Chessmaster 2000

Chessmaster 2000 provides a challenging chess opponent
for owners of almost ever>' personal computer. Opening
up a whole new genre of chess programs, Chessmaster
2000 offers realistic graphics and optional sound, which
on the .Amiga and Atari ST even includes speech. View
the board in two or three dimensions as you challenge its
12 levels of play and three different play styles: Coffee-
house, somewhat random in its strategy; Normal, provid-
ing good, solid moves; and the aptly named Best Move.
To augment its playing abilities, Chessmaster 2000 con-
tains 7100 openings and a library of 100 classic games.
With some serious concentration and a strong end game,
maybe you can force Chessmaster to sa>; / am checkmat-
ed, you win.

— Randy Thompson

F-15 Strike Eagle

Vicarious thrills are a big part of computer games, and F-
15 Strike Eagle from MicroProse provides plenty to every
budding jet jockey. Arcade in its feel, this isn't a touchy
simulator where twitching sends you into a spin. Handle
the F-l 5 as roughly as you want, and most times it will

come through. Real-life
scenarios give you oppo-
nents from Lybia, Syria,
and Iran. Use your heat-
seeking and radar-ranging
missiles, cannons, and
electronic jamming gear
to successfully out-duel
enemy jet fighters. Climb,
roll dive, jink, then hit
the afterburners to get
back to base. Other flight
simulators teach you how
to fly or land on a carrier,
but only E-15 Strike Ea-
gle makes jet fighter com-
bat ner\-c- wracking and
fun at the same time.

— Gregg Keizer

Flight Simulator

The desire to fly seems innate, and that's what attracts
thousands of people to try their hands at Flight Simulator
and its grown-up companion, Flight Simulator //. By far
the most popular versions, they put you in the pilot's seat
of a single-engine aircraft with a very accurate array of
controls and instruments. To heighten the realism, you're
presented with a simulated 3-D cockpit view in any direc-
tion. You can actually fly over real-world scenery — ^circle
the Empire State Building or barnstorm the Golden Gate
Bridge. Most important, Flight Simulator fuses the action
elements of arcade-style games, the exploration aspects of

MAY 198

These Are a Few of

TUCID Favorite
I nClll Games

We asked a handful of soft-
ware publishers and develop-
ers to give us ffieir favorite
games — the ones they and
their companies weren't con-
nected with. Here are their
picks. . . .

Trip Hawkins, president,
Electronic Arts

"My first major computer gaming expe-
rience was with Colossal Cave, the origi-
nal adventure game. I nearly finished [the
game]. I really Jiked it, but the novelty
wore off, and I haven't liked any text ad-
ventures since."
What took the place of text games in his life? 'Tm addicted to
sports games," Hawkins admits. "I programmed a football game
back in 1973 and used it to simulate the 1974 Super Bowl. In my
simulation, Miami beat Minnesota 23-6; in real life it was 24-7."
His favorites? "An old-time favorite was Sneakers, by Mark
Turmell. It's one of the few action games I ever mastered. 1 liked
the arcade game, Battle Zone, but I wasn't any good at it. I also
got pretty hooked on Marble Madness and Gauntlet: I think the
digitized sound effects put them over the top for me."

Sid Meier, vice-president of product
design at MicroProse, and developer
of Pirates! and F-15 Strike Eagle

"I like games that are simple." says
Meier. "Not games that are trivial, but
also not games that require you to invest
a week or relearn something, I like games
that you can just pick up, sit down in front of, and get going."

An example? "7^e Sentry from Firebird is one I enjoy. It's a
great diversion. You have to use your bratn and think. It's not a
real joystick-shaking game, and it's not really an action-oriented
game, but it's just fun to sit down with and puzzie through for a
while. It's a game that kind of takes your mind off whatever you
want your mind taken off of. That's why 1 like it. It's unusual and
it's hard to deschbe."

14 COMPUTE!

Ezra Sidran, developer, author of
Universal Military Simulator (Firebird)
and Designasaurus (DesignWare/
Brittannica)

Sidran is unequivocal in his choice of fa-
vorites: "Anything written by Sid Meier
and Ed Sever. Crusade in Europe is a
good example, as is Silent Service {which Sid did alone),"

What makes their games stand out? "The documentation is
exceptional," Sidran says. "Playability is superb, but it's the docu-
mentation that gives you a perspective you just don't find in many
computer games."

Tom Snyder, head of Tom Snyder
Productions, creator of Infocomics

Snyder recalls a season spent playing
Castle Wolfenstein in concert with a friend.
"I enjoyed the interaction with another
player," he says. "One of us worked the
arms; the other, legs. We played for weeks

in a row — it was, in many ways, the ultimate social experience.
''Wolfenstein was a really elegant game. At first I disliked the

violence, but once I got past that, I couldn't stop. At one point we

found ourselves whispering to each other so the Germans

wouldn't overhear us."

Roberta Williams cofounderof
Sierra On-Line, and author of
Mixed-Up Mother Goose and the
King's Quest series of animated
adventure games

"1 like Infocom's games," Williams says.
"I write adventure games, so I'm drawn to
that genre. Beyond ZorH is a good one. 1
started playing the first two (Zorks) but never finished. I just don't
ever have time."

Still, she keeps coming back to text adventure games.'l start-
ed playing Trinity a few months ago. I said, 'For once I'm really go-
ing to take some time and get through it' — and I didn't. After a
while I said, 1 just don't have the time.'"

Williams enjoyed the time she spent with Trinity, noting, "I
thought it was rather hard, but only because I didn't really have the
time to put into it and think about it. But I thought it was very well
done."

—Keith Ferrell

W^£m

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if^^^^^H^ul

ir fM

H^ft*^

adventure games, and the intel-
lectual challenges of flight and
navigation to create an expe-
rience that is uniquely educa-
tional, nonviolent, and fun.

—Tom R. Haifhill

Gettysburg —
The Turning Point

Reliving history is a prime in-
gredient in all computer war
games. The best ones ofTer an
attention to historical detail

and the opportunity to make California Games

tactical or strategic decisions,

SSFs Gettysburg— The Turning Point provides all this and
more as the bloody days of Americans greatest battle are
brought to life on your screen. Assume command of either
the Union or Confederate forces as the computer com-
mands the opposition, or play a two-player game with a
friend while the computer acts as the referee.

As you wage battle in any of the four included scenar-
ios, the program supplies realistic situations as fatigue and
supply problems become factors in the battle. Move units,
fire at the enemy, and assult defended positions on the re-
created battlefield.

Superior war games like Gettysburg let you see what
happened, and why, in conflicts that changed the face of
America.

— George Miller

Hitctihiker's Guide to the Galaxy

You wake up with a raging headache, so you get out of
bed, take an aspirin, and get dressed. But a bulldozer is
about to demolish your house. If you survive, you soon
discover that the earth is blocking the planned route of an
intergalactic bypass and will be destroyed in a matter of
minutes. Luckily, you get your hands on 'The Hitchhik-
er's Guide to the Galaxy," a sort of electronic encyclope-
dia that lets you escape. YouVe on your way to
intergalactic adventures with melancholy robots and
aliens who create fatally poor poetry.

What distinguishes Hitchhiker's Guide from run-of-
the-mill adventure games is its sense of humor, Douglas
Adams, author of the original book series, collaborated
closely with Infocom's programmers. His keen and literate
wit make this game a joy.

— Todd Heimarck

Impossible iVIission

Stay awhile, stay forever! Those chilling words send you
off in search of an evil scientist in his underground laby-
rinth. Great speech synthesis and smooth, colorful graph-
ics make Epyx's Impossible Mission a fast-paced game
with an innovative feel. A banshee's scream erupts every
time your character falls down an elevator shaft. In fact.

one of this game's guilty plea-
sures is to send your character
hurtling repeatedly into the
abyss just for the sound ef-
fects. Squat robots bar your
way at every step, sending
electrical charges through your
character if you make a
misstep.

You can have hours and
hours of fun just running
amuck within the under-
ground passages, jumping ro-
bots, riding the elevators, and
solving memory teasers. But
youVe on a deadline, trying to
prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Your character runs
smoothly along, his footfalls echoing nicely in the corri-
dors, while the deranged doctor repeatedly calls out to his
robots: Destroy him, my robots!

— Selby Bateman

Mean 18

Experience the thrill of playing the world's most famous
golf courses while in the comfort of your own home. Mean
18, a golf simulation game from .Accolade, utilizes suberb
graphics and digitized sound to create a realistic golfing
experience. Nearly ever\^ aspect of the game comes into
play, from club selection to green breaks. Plenty of prac-
tice and perseverance are necessary to master Mean 18, a
touch of realism that helped send this sports game onto
the best-seller charts. Once you're familar with the courses
provided, you can design your own with the feature-
packed course architect or buy packaged disks with more
actual courses. Chances are, after experiencing Mean 18,
you may find yourself hooking and slicing your way
around the computer links more often than your favorite
local course,

—David Hensley, Jr,
M.U.L.E.

Cross a robot and a factory, and you get a stubborn critter
called a MULE, In this classic game from Electronic .Arts,
you and three others — under the control of other humans
or the computer — play planetary colonists. Land is regu-
larly granted to the colonists, or you may bid for it. You
then buy MULEs and outfit them to produce electricity to
run the MULEs, food for the colonists, smithore to build
more MULEs, orcrystite (a precious metal with a wildly
fluctuating value). After installing the MULE on the land,
you take the product to market. At the same time that
you're selflessly helping the colony to thrive, you're also
tr\qng to make the biggest profit. Do you specialize in
smithore and hope that other players produce electricity
and food, or do you diversify to gain self-sufTiciency? This
game requires a sense of strategy as well as proficiency at
joystick maneuvers.

— Todd Heimarck t>

MAY 1988

Pinball Construction Set

Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set, published by Elec-
tronic Arts, helped launch an important genre of enter-
tainment software — the construction set. Tired of the
pinball machine? Then create your own. Budge put to-
gether an elegant pinball machine, full of crazy sounds and
flashing colors, a place in which nothing is nailed down —
least of all your imagination. You can build virtually any
kind of pinball machine, no matter how strange and won-
derful by moving bumpers, switches, bells, balls, and
whistles into any configuration. The games are always fun,
and the construction set itself is a programming work of
art. We've seen plenty of pinball machines on computer
screens, but this one's a classic thai never seems to grow
old.

—Selby Bateman

Raid on Bungeling Bay

The Bungeling war machine is gearing up for a major as-
sault. New war factories are cranking out military hard-
ware at an alarming rate. If they aren't stopped now,
they'll never be stopped. That's where you come in. Your
mission is to destroy the heart of the machine, the fac-
tories. To complete your mission, you command a carrier
and five attack helicopters. These choppers aren't as fast
as the Bungeling jets, but maneuverability and a good can-
non more than make up the difference. Broderbund's
Raid on Bungeling Bay is an outstanding arcade game
that's both playable and addictive. You may be able to de-
stroy one or two of the factories your first time out, but
you'll have to refine your strategy before youll ever see
the Bungeling empire fall.

— DaleMcBane

Where to Find Our Favorite Games

Game

Publisher

Computers

Price

Address

Available

Balance of Power

Mindscape

Amiga. Apple, Atari ST, Mac.
MS-DOS

$44,95-$49.95

3444 Dundee Rd.. Northbrook, IL 60062.
312-480-7667

Yes

Beach-Head

Access

Apple, Atari, 64

$19.95

2561 S. 1560 W., Woods Cross, UT 84087,
801-298-9077

Reissued as
part of a three-
game Action
Pack

California Games

Epyx

Amiga. Apple, 64, MS-DOS

$39.95

600 Galveston Dr., Redwood City, GA
94063, 41 S-366-0606

Yes

Chessmaster 2000

Software
Toolworks

Amiga. Apple II, Atan, Atari
ST 64, Mac. MS-DOS

$39.95-S44.95

1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404.
415-571-7171

Yes

F-15 Strike Eagle

MicroProse

Apple, Atari. Atari ST, 64,
MS-DOS

$34.95-$39.95

120 Lakefront Dr.. Hunt Valley, MD 21030,
301-771-1151

Yes

Flight Simulator/Flight
Simulator 11

SubLogic

Amiga. Apple, Atari, Atari ST,
64, Mac, MS-DOS

$49,95

713 Edqebrook Dr., Champaign, IL 61820,
800-637-4983

Yes (Mac and
MS-DOS
versions avail,
only from
Microsoft Corp..
800-426-9400)

Gettysburg: The Turning
Point

SS!

Apple, Atari. 64, MS-DOS

$59,95

1046 N. Rengsttorff Ave., Mountain View,
CA 94043, 415-964^1353

Yes

Hitchfiiker's Guide to the
Galaxy

Infocom

Apple, 54, MS'DOS, Mac

S14,95-S19.95

3250 Bayshore Pkv^, Mountain View. CA
94033,415-960-0518

Yes

Impossible Mission

Epyx

Apple, 64

S39.95

600 Galveston Dr.. Redwood City, CA
94063, 415-366-0606

64 version only
available from
Softmail.
Woodside. CA
(408) 848-3042
(S9.95)

Mean 18

Accolade

Amiga, Apple IIgs. Atari ST.
MS-DOS

S39.94-$44.95

20813 Stevens Creek Blvd.. Cupertino, CA
95014.408-446-5757

Yes

M.U.LE,

Electronic Arts

Atari, 64

314.95

1820 Gateway Dr. San Mateo. CA 94404,
415-571-7171

Yes

Pinball Construction Set

Electronic Arts

Apple, Atari, 64, Mac, MS-
DOS

SI 4.95

1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404,
415-571-7171

Yes

Raid on Bungeling Bay

Broderbund

S29.95

17 Paul Dr.. San Rafael, CA 94903, 415-492-
3200

Discountinued
(Nintendo
game system
version
available)

Reach for the Stars

SSG

Appte, 64, Mac

S45.00

1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404.
415-571-7171

Yes

Shanghai

Activsion

Amiga, Apple. 64, MS-DOS.

Mac

$29,95-$44.95

3250 Bayshore Pkwy, Mountain View, CA
94033,415-960-0518

Yes

Silent Servfce

MicroProse

Amiga, Apple, Apple IIgs.
Atari. Atari ST, 64, MS-DOS

$34.95-$39,95

120 Lakefront Dr., Hunt Valley, MD 21030.
301-771-1151

Yes

Starflight

Electronic Arts

MS-DOS

S49.95

1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo. CA 94404,
415-571-7171

Yes

Ultima 1, III. IV. V

Origin Systems

Amiga (III), Apple tall), 64 (1,
III. IV), Atari (III, tV), Atari ST
(III, IV), Mac (III). MS-DOS (1,
111. N)

S39.95-$59.95

17 Paul Dr., San Rafael, CA 94903, 415-492-
3200

Yes. mtma U
discontinued.

Worms?

Electronic Arts

Atari, 64

$14.95

1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo. CA 94404,
415-571-7171

Yes

Zork Trilogy

Infocom

Amiga. Apple, Atari ST, 64,
MS-DOS. Mac

$44,95-S52.95

3250 Bayshore Pkwy., Mountain View, CA
94033,415-960-0518

Yes

16 COMPUTE!

Flight Simulator

4-GEOFfRrv $00 C

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Starfiight

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UNION flMES-ft irfF 228 HEH
DS:H Anno .3 KEL:N nRL:5S NO PLOT
NORMAL 0P:9 DIR:i ftBU:(t
ROAD (2) X,V: 21,21

Gettysburg: The Turning Point

Reach for the Stars

Modeled after a popular board game. Reach for the Stars
is a game of galactic supremacy that pits you against up to
three opponents in a bid to become emperor of outer
space. Expand your empire by colonizing uninhabited
worlds and by conquering enemy planets. Get the best of
your enemies by executing a brilliant sneak attack or by
building a vast economic empire. Limited information on
enemy colonies and fleets makes Reach for the Stars a re-
alistic strategy game that keeps you guessing. Excellent
computer opponents and variable victory conditions pro-
vide additional challenges.

Spend your credits on scouts, transports, warships,
social concerns, planetary environment, local defense, or
technology. Decide where to attack your enemies, and
when. The choices are many, but so are the rewards.
Domination of the universe doesn't come cheap.

— Wiiiiam Chin

Mean 1&

Shanghai

Lose yourself in the mysteries of the ancient Orient with
Shanghai, Activision's computer version of the popular
and addictive game of mah-jongg. Attention to detail is
what sets this game above the rest. The screen is beautiful-
ly drawn — right down to the shadows that the game tiles
cast. In Shanghai, your goal is to remove pairs of tiles
from the playing field until none are left. The trick is that
you can only remove tiles on the left or right edge of a
group. The game is similar to solitaire, though much deep-
er. Although the standard game is usually played at a lei-
surely pace, the two-player timed game is an exciting
change. As a bonus, there's a wonderful surprise waiting
for you when you finally remove all the tiles.

— Rhett Anderson

Silent Service

Submarine simulations fulfill a strange desire — to be
someplace where you really wouIdn*t want to ever be. Si-
lent Service is the best-selling submarine simulator for a
good reason: It combines a relatively faithful feel of sub-
marine warfare with excellent graphics, good sound, and

MAY 19

When you want to talk computers..

ATARI COIVIPUTERS

65XE64K Computer 99.99

130XE 132K Computer 139,00

520ST-FM Monochrome System Call

520ST-FM Color System 789.00

SF1 24 Monochrome Monitor . 1 49.00
SF1224 Color Monitor 329.00

Atari 1040
Color System

'939

Includes: 1040ST. 1MB RAM with aVs"
Drive Built-in, 192K ROM with TOS,
Basic, ST Language and Color Monitor.

ATARI ST SOFTWARE

Access

Leaderboard Golf 24.99

Antic

Stereo CAD 30 Flash 24.99

Avant Garde

PC Ditto (IBM Emulation) 69.99

Batteries Included

Degas Elite 44.99

DAG

Easy Accounting ,64.99

Timeworks

SwiftcalcAA/ordwriter .... 49.99

VIP

Professional Gem 144.00

AMIGA SOFTWARE

Absoft

AC Basic 139.00

Aegis Development

Animator/Images 89.99

Draw Plus., 149.00

Sonix 49.99

Discovery Software

Maranderll. .,..31.99

Electronic Arts

Deluxe Video 1.2 , , .89,99

Gold Disk Software

Pagesetter w/Text ed . , , , 89.99

Micro Illusions

Dynamic Cad 349,00

Micro Systems Software

Scribble ,. 69.99

AMIGA SOFTWARE

New Tek Inc.

Digi-View2.0 . . 149.00

Digi-Paint, . , , 44.99

Sub'Logic Corp.

Flight Simulator II 39.99

Word Perfect Corp.

Word Perfect .199.00

MACINTOSH PRODUCTS

HARD DRIVES
CMS

MacStack 20 .599,00

Everex

40 MB SCSI 999.00

Mountain

20 MB SCSI 849.00

FLOPPY DRIVES
Cutting Edge by Ehman

Book External 189.00

Mirror Technologies

Magnum Book .199.00

MONITORS

Sigma Designs

Laser View Display Syst 1 ,89900

[

Network Specialities
Big Top 20" Desk ^
Top Publishing 1499

MEMORY UPGRADES
Dove Computer

Mac Snap 524S , 199.00

Mac Memory

Max Plus Mega 329.00

Turbo SE 16 MHz 369.00

SCANNERS
AST

Turboscan 1,299.00

Datacopy

720 Flatbed Scanner 1,199.00

MS/DOS SYSTEMS

AST Prem. 140 Desktop 2,499.00

Compaq Deskproand Portables. Call

MS/DOS SYSTEMS

IBM PS/2 model 30 and 50 Call

IBM PS/2 model 60 and 80 Call

Leading Edge 899.00

NEC

Multispeed
Floppy Laptop

M,199

NEC APC-IV Powermate . . .2,399.00
PC-TOO 80286 1.2MB, 51 2K . .999,00
Toshiba T-1 000 Laptop 799.00

MULTIFUNCTION CARDS

AST

Hot Shot 286 Accelerator 349.00

Hercules

Color Card 139.00

Graphics Card Plus 159.00

5th Generation

Logical Connection 256K 299.00

Quadram

Quad386XT 80386 PC-Upgrade

...799.00

Video 7

Vega V.G.A. Adapter 319.00

Zuckerboard

Color Card w/Parallel Port 89.99

MS/DOS SOFTWARE

Ashton-Tate

d-Baselll+ ...............389.00

Borland

Quattro , 129.00

5th Generation

Fastback Plus , .89.99

IMSI

Optimouse w/dr. Halo 89.99

Logitech

C7 Mouse w/Software 79,99

Lotus

Lotus 1.2.3 309.00

Micropro

Professional 4.0 w/GL 239.00

Word Perfect Corp.

Word Perfect 4.2 209.00

COIVIPUTER MAIL ORDER

When you want to talk price.

MONITORS

Amdek

Video 310A 12'* Amber 1 19.00

Video 410 12" A/G/W .... (ea.) 159.00
Magnavox

7BM623 12" TTL Amber 99.00

Magnovox CM8502 « . _ _,
13" Composite Color 1 59

CM8515 14" RGB/Composite . 269.00
CM8762 14" RGB/Composite . . New

NEC

GS'1400 14" Monochr.TTI 219.00

JC-1402 Multisync-ll 599.00

Packard Bell

PB-1418F 14" Flat TTL A/G/W

(ea.) 119.00

PB-1420CG 14" Mid-Res CGA 269.00
PB-1422EG 14" Hi-Res EGA . .369.00
PB'8526-MJ Uniscan Monitor. 399.00
Princeton Graphics

Max-12 12" TTL Amber 149.00

Thomson

450 15" 132 col. TTL Amber ..119.00

4120 14" RGB/Composite 239.00

DRIVES

Atari

AA354 SS/DD ST Disk ...... . 129.00

AA314 DS/DD ST Disk 199.00

SHD204 20MB ST Hard Drive .569.00
C.LTD (For Amiga)

C.LTD20MB 899.00

C.LTD 33MB .999.00

C.LTD A500 SCSI Controller .179.00

indus

GT Disk Drive Atari XUXE ... 1 79.00

Racore

Jr. Expansion Chassis 299.00

Seagate Technoiogies

ST-225 20MB Drive 249.00

Supra

Atari ST 20MB Hard Drive 559.00

Amiga 2000 20MB Hard Drive. 649.00

Xebec

Amiga 20MB Hard Drive 799.00

MODEMS

Anchor

6480C64/128 1200 Baud 99.99

VU-520ST520/1040 1200 Baud 129.00

1200E 1200 Baud External . . .129.00

Atari

SX-212 ST Modem .......... .94.99

Avafex

1200 HC External ....99.99

2400 External 209.00

Best Products

1200 Baud Vi Card w/software .89.99

Evercom 2400 Baud External .239.00
IHayes

Smartmodem 300 ... ... 149.00

Smartmodem 1200 259.00

Packard Bell

1200 External 89.99

2400 External 169.00

Practical Peripherials
Complete Telecom 5
Package o9

2400 Baud Stand-Alone ..... 199.00

Supra

MPP-1064 AD/AA C64 ....... .69.99

2400AT 2400 Baud Atari 169.00

U.S. Robotics

Direct 1200 Baud External . . , .89.99

Direct 2400 Baud External . , . 199.00

DISKETTES

Maxell

MD1-M SS/DD 5V4" .8 49

MD2-DM DS/DD 5 V4" 9.49

MF1-DDMSS/DD3V2" ..12.49

MF2-DDM DS/DD 3 V2" 18.49

MC-6000 DC-600Tape 23.99

Sony

MD1D SS/DD 51/2" . ..6.99

MD2D DS/DD 51/2" 7.99

MFD-1DD SS/DD 3V2" . . . .11 99

MFD-2DD DS/DD 31/2" 16.99

PRINTERS

Atari

1020 XUXE Plotter ...31.99

XDM-121 Letter Quality XL-XE 159.00
XM-M801 XL-XE Dot Matrix . . 199.00

XM-M804 ST Dot Matrix 189.00

Brother

M-1109 100 cps Dot Matrix . ..199.00

M-1409 180 cps Dot Matrix . . .309.00

Citizen

120D 120 cps Dot Matrix 149.00

Premler-35 35cps Daisywhl... 479.00

C.ltoh

31 5-XP Epson/IBM 132 col... .549.00

Epson FX-86E %^^^

80 Column 240 CPS 279

Epson

LX-800 150 cps, 80 col. 179.00

FX-286E240cps, 132 col Call

LQ-500 180 cps, 24 wire Call

LQ-850 330 cps, 80 col Call

LQ-1050 330cps, 24-wire ......Call

EX-800 300 cps, 80 col. . Call

Hewlett-Packard

HP-2225Th Inkjet 369.00

NEC

P2200 Pinwriter 24-wire . . . . .379.00

P660 Plnwriter 24-wire 459.00

P760Pmwriterl32Gol. 679.00

Okfdata

Okimate 20 color printer ..... 129.00

ML-182 120 cps 80 col 229.00

ML-192 + 200 cps, 80 col. . . . .359.00

ML-193+ 200 cps. 132 col. , . .469.00

Panasonic

KX-P1080I 144 cps, 80 col. ... 189.00

KX-P1091J 194 cps, 80 col. . . .199.00

Star MIcronics

NX-1000 140 cps, 80 col 169.00

NX-1000C C64/128 Interface .189.00

NX-15120cps, 132coL .319.00

Toshiba

P321-SL216cps,24-wlre ,...539.00

P351-SX 300 cps, 24-wire . . . .999.00

In the U.S.A. and in Canada

Call toll-free: 1-800-233-8950

Outside the U.S.A. call 717-327-9575, Fax 717-327-1217

Educational, Govemmental and Corporate Organizations call toll-free 1-800-221-4283

CMC. 477 East Third Street, Dept. A2, Williamsport, PA 17701

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
POLICY: Add 3% (minimum $7.00) shipping and handling. Larger shipments may require additional charges. Personal and company checks require 3 weeks

to dear. For faster delivery, use your credil card or send cashier's check or bank money order. Credit cards are not charged until we ship. Pennsylvania residents
add 6% sates tax. All prices are U.S.A. prices and are subject to change, and all items are subject to availability. Defective software will be replaced with the
same item only. Hardware will be replaced or repaired at our discretion within the terms and limits of the manufacturer's warranty. We cannot guaranlee com-
patibility. All sales are final and returned shipments are subject to a restocking fee.

palm-twitching action. You
captain a U.S. sub in the
Pacific during World War
II, searching out Japanese
convoys, sinking enemy
merchant ships, and avoid- Silent Service

ing charging destroyers.

From a central menu, you access several screens to run the
sub and fire its weapons. Dive, surface, raise the peri-
scope, fire torpedoes or the deck gun. use your radar, and
quietly slip away when the depth charges drop. Si lent Ser-
vice rewards both patience and aggressiveness, qualities a
good sub captain has to have. For its playability, realism,
graphics, and durability. Silent Service makes our favor-
ites list.

— Gregg Keizer

cities, castles, and dungeons of Britannia.

where each member of
your party is controlled in-
dividually in sequence.
Whichever Uiiima
you choose, youMl enjoy a
rich plot and dynamic
game as you explore the

Starflight

In a market crammed with sci-
ence fiction games, Starflight
stands out. No simple shoot-em-up,
this game turns on trading, mining, collecting artifacts,
interacting with aliens, and solving mysleries.

Starf light simulates an entire universe. Hundreds of
solar systems with planets, lifeforms, and exploitable min-
erals are scattered through a cosmos riddled with worm-
holes through which your slarship emerges . . . elsewhere.
Behind ever\thing is a gradually unfolding mystery whose
dimensions span time and space, and on whose solution
the fate of the universe rests. Finally, Starflight captures
the feel of a certain type of science fiction, as you assemble
a crew, set out to explore and acquire, and are drawn into
a narrative whose conclusion you control. The game can
take hundreds of hours to play fully, yet those hours are
anything but boring.

^Keith Ferrell

Ultima

Enter the world of fantasy with any of the Ultima series of
adventure games. Attract a party of like-minded adventur-
ers, explore Britannia, and endure perils as you complete a
quest.

As with most Dungeons and Dragons-siy\e role-play-
ing games, magic plays an integral part in your quest.
Often, magic spells are the only means to defeat a mon-
ster. Movement through the available worlds is controlled
on a hex-squared map which encompasses several screens.
Battles with monsters or brigands dedicated to your de-
struction are resolved on a separate animated screen,

— George Miller

Worms?

Iibrms7is still in a class all by itself, more than four years
after its introduction. The folks at Electronic Arts knew a
good thing when they saw it, even if no one could quite de-
scribe just what Worms? was
all about.

It's just as difficult to ex-
plain today, but it is a simple,
unadulterated joy to play —
without doubt a unique enter-
tainment package. Up to four
people can watch their worms^ —
trails of light that seem to have minds of their own — zip
around one another as they apparently fight for space. Or
maybe they're dancing to the always-changing music. No
one's quite sure, but the effect is a game that's as engrossing
as it is delightful. Hbr^m^has never failed to draw a
crowd of people around the ofTice when we boot it up, and
continues to hold its charm after all these years.

— Selhy Bateman

Zork

Traverse The Great Underground Empire, confront The
Wizard of Frobozz, and explore the Dungeon Master's
ominous domain. Based on a classic mainframe adven-
ture program, the Zork series opens up a new world inside
computers. 'Aork 1 challenges you with dangerous foes and
perplexing puzzles as you attempt to find 20 valuable trea-
sures in an ancient underground empire. Zork 1 1 intro-
duces you to the absent-minded Wizard of Frobozz. 7Mrk
/// takes you even deeper into the Zorkian realm.

You communicate with Zork in plain English, using
commands such as Go north and walk around the house.
And although Zork lacks the complex sound effects and
dazzling graphics found in most of today's games, the se-
ries' detailed descriptions and amazingly coherent re-
sponses create images in your mind — images that no
computer could begin to rival. With text-only adventures
becoming less and less commonplace, Zork continues to
stand the test of time.

— Randy Thompson H

20 COMPUTE!

The personal computer
built to go home, too.

The IBM-compatible Laser Compact XT is
powerful enough for the office and easy
enough to use at home.

Most people take work home to keep ahead of their
competition. The Laser Compact XT has the speed
(10 MHz) and memory (512K expandable up to 1,640K
bytes) to handle IBM-compatible software from
Lotus 1,2,3® to games, and beyond. Its compact
design with built-in handle makes it easy to carry home.

The Laser Compact XT has a built-in disk drive,
serial, parallel, joystick, mouse and modem interfaces
to hook up all your peripherafs. The Compact XT gives
you the choice of working with either a monochrome

fllf LASER COMRftCTXT

Manufactured by

VIDEO TECHNOLOGY COMPUTERS, INC.

or color monitor (CGA and Hercules®), and the XTE
model is EGA compatible.

The Laser Compact XT combines performance and
speed with a price that's easy to handle at under S600.
For more information on the Laser Compact XT and the
name of your nearest dealer, contact Video Technology
Computers, Inc.. 400 Anthony Trail, Northbrook, IL
60062, or call (312) 272*-6760.
In Canada, call (604)
273-2828.

Las*r CompacJ XT b a ifadamaft d VhJco Technology CortxrJWi. iflc (BM, PC, XT and CGA an registorvd
tadernarks of IniefnatKjnsI Buufless Macfitnes Cofp. Lolxfi and 1.2 3 are ra^tneted Trademaihs ol Lotus
DevBtopmenl Gofp Neraiiesisflnsgtslorcfdtraaefnafk of Hefojies kut c 1997, Video Tstfrnoiogy Computer^, rnc

MAKING COMPUTERS AFFORDABLE

Kids,
Computers,

and
Summer

Vacation

'yWioi^

Fred D*Ignazio

Get ready for
your kids'
suTTiTaer vacation
with this idea-
packed article.

It may be April now, with the snow
still on the ground or the cold rain
still falling, but before you can say
^'Schoors out!'* it wiU be. That
means summer vacation, which means
free time for most kids. To kids out of
school, every day is Saturday.

Depending on your viewpoint, that
can be a blessing or a curse. Lots of free
time is great, but if you can't fill your
childrens' summer days with interesting
activities, you're going to be in for one
long, hot season. Parents know the syn-
drome well. The first two weeks of va-
cation see children playing, reading, or
working hard. Things slow down a bit
the third week. The fourth week arrives,
and with it, terminal boredom.
"There's nothing to do" millions of
children exclaim, seemingly simulta-
neously across the country.

Since you have a computer in the
house, put it to use; it can keep kids en-
tertained and even help them learn a

few things during the summer. This ar-
ticle offers dozens of ideas for summer
activities that involve your children
and your computer, both around the
house and when you*re on the road.
There's even some computer tips for
parents on vacation and information
on computer camps for kids.

Get ready for the summer now.
Make sure your computer is plugged in,
and you've got a supply of good, enter-
taining software next to it.

Summertime
Software

Keeping your children busy with the
family's computer is easy. Just turn
them loose in the local computer store
with your credit card.

Not a feasible solution, is it? Your
computer software budget is limited,
and you're not going to be content with

22 COMPUTE!

World War 11 Infantry Combat Arrives
. . .on the ffiM-PC® and Commodore 64/128!

Avalon Hill's

IJNlNilK
FIKIi!!

co^Iksion

• "on the cutting edge of computer wargaming
in months and even years to come,"
(Computer Gaming World),

• ''superb. ..phenomenally easy to learn...
a giant leap forward in computer gaming/*
(Strategy & Tactics magazine).
• ''[one] of the best tactical simulation games
I have ever seen," (Ttie Wargamer),

From the wheatfields of Russia to the hedgerows of northern France, this is the world of
UNDER FIRE. There are armies from the US, Germany and the Soviet Union. There are
infantry, paratroopers, engineers, mountain troops, assault guns, tanks, off map artillery,
leaders and weapons. Add hidden movement, morale, three maps and nine scenarios. ..and
you have a game that is as flexible as it is complete!

Features...

• 1 of 2 Players/Joystick optional. •Nine Scenarios ranging from

• Men and weapons from the US, open-field firefights to
Germany and the Soviet Union. house-to-house conflict,

• Situational or tactical maps. •Save and print options.

AVAILABLE SEPARATELY FOR IBM AND COMMODORE OWNERS:

• MAPMAKER DISK (wargame construction set!)
With the Mapmaker Disk, UNDER FIRE is also a true wargame
construction set. With the eight terrain types and over 60 pieces,
it's possible to create the dense forest of the Ardennes, or the
built-up cities of Stalingrad or Berlin.

microcomputer gomes division
The Avalon Hill Game Company

A MONARCH AVALON. INC COMPANY

4517 Harford Road • Baltimore. MD 21214

m
m

Available at leading

computer stores everywhere

orcall TOLL FREE

1.800-638-9292

for ordering information.

pBM-PC® Owners (256K):
Game Disk: $34.95

f Available separately:

Mapmaker Disk: $25.00
Special Map Disk
compatible with Hercules®
monochrome card: $5,00

Commodore® 64 Owners:

• Game Disk: $34.95
Available separately:

• Mapmaker Disk: $25.00

|Apple It® Owners:
I Game Disk: $59 95
I (includes Mapmaker Disk)
I Available separately: 3

Extended Units Disk #1 : $25.00 ^
^ Extended Campaign Disk #2: $25.00

Canoes, Campfires,
and Computers

Not too long ago, when kids went to
summer camp they rode horses, paddled
canoes, and tried to avoid poison ivy. To-
day's campers still enjoy the traditional
programs, but many camps have added
computers to their activity list In addition
to swimming and archery, campers are
now programming in Pascal, studying
artificial intelligence, and mastering ad-
vanced spreadsheet techniques.

According to the American Camping
Association, there are about 150 camps
in the United States classified either as
computer camps or as camps that offer
some sort of computer instruction. The
quality of their programs varies tremen-
dously, if you're thinking of sending your
child to a computer-intensive camp, in-
vestigate its curriculum before you start
sewing on name tags. Determine your
child's computer needs and then decide
whether the camp can meet those
requirements.

Some camps offer general courses
in computer literacy, while others, such
as the Midwest Computer Camp in In-
dianapolis, Indiana, let students choose
their own intensive course of supervised
study. In addition to programming and
teiecommunications. Midwest offers spe-
cial classes in robotics, lasers, and mu-
sic synthesizers, plus a full range of
traditional camp activities.

Be certain to ask about the camper/
staff ratio. You'll also want to know the
qualifications and teaching experience of
the computer personnel. Some instruc-
tors may be experts with computers, but
make certain they also have experience
teaching children.

It's a good idea to find out what
kind of computers are available. Most
camps have a variety of machines, but if
you have an Apple at home, make sure
your child can use an Apple at camp.

Hands-on experience is invaluable
in computer education, so ask about the

camper/computer
ratio. Some camps re-
strict enrollment to
ensure a 1:1 ratio. Be
wary if the ratio is higher
than two campers per computer.

Michael Zabinski, director of Na-
tional Computer Camps, insists that a
2:1 ratio is best. "Some camps have
one child per computer, and the parent
thinks that's a good deal," he observes.
"That's terrible. You want two kids per
computer. Not three, not one, but tv^ro.
They interact. Whenever one kid gets
stuck, the other pitches in."

Zabtnski says many parents are
concerned that their children spend so
much time alone at home with their
computers. At his camps, children have
a minimum of five hours a day at a com-
puter with another boy or giri their age.

"This is an opportunity to go out.
meet other kids, and work with other
kids." Zabinski says. "They work to-
gether; they share."

Camps such as National Com-
puter— which has facilities at colleges
and prep schools in Atlanta, Georgia;
Hartford, Connecticut; and Cleveland,
Ohio — have a minimum of five hours of
formal computer instaiction per day.
They also offer up to anotiier five hours,
if the child wants it. Midwest provides six
hours of structured learning time, with the
option of several additional hours. Camps
that include computing as just another
activity in their traditional curriculum may

offer only an hour
at a computer per
day. It's up to the par-
ent and child to decide how
much computing time they want
and then select a camp that fulfills
that requirement.

Parents should also inquire about
medical facilities, living quarters, and
other activities. While costs vary from
camp to camp, ask if the general tuition
covers all fees. Write for brochures and
look them over carefully. When you've
narowed the selection, prepare a list of
questions and call the camp director. A
phone call and a chat with the director
can be very helpful, especially if you
can't visit the camp in person.

The American Camping Association
publishes an annual guide to camps. It's
not a specific list of computer camps,
but many of the camps offer computer
training. Other camps can be located by
checking advertisements in publications
such as the New York Times Sunday
Magazine and Sunset Magazine.

For further information, consult the
Parents' Guide to Accredited Camps
($9.95), American Camping Association
Publications. 5000 State Road, 67 North,
Martinsville, Indiana 46151. Or you can
call 800^2&-CAMP (in Indiana, call
317-342-8456).

—Tom Netsel

your kids playing gannes — whether fan-
tasy role-playing or shoot-'em-up
arcades — all summer long.

What you need is software that's
not too expensive and software which
takes care of two things at once — soft-
ware that entertains (so it keeps your
child happy) while it teaches (so your
child learns something in the process).
Summertime can be, to use Stephen
King's phrase, ''a dead zone." a lime
when your childrens' minds shut down
and go into suspended animation. But
summertime can also be an opportuni-
ty for your children to improve impor-
tant skills, like reading and math. Or il
can offer the time to begin learning a
new skill, like typing, speaking a foreign
language, or playing a musical keyboard.

These 30 programs fit the bill.
You'll probably need a couple of them
within a few weeks after school lets out.
Put a couple of others away for a rainy
summer afternoon, that day when your
children come to you with the pathetic,
bored expression you know so well,
(For prices, computer versions, and
publishers' addresses and phone num-
bers, look to the ''Summer Software"'
grid included with this article.)

• Rocky 's Boots, Reader Rabbity Writer
Rabbity and Math Rabbit (The Learning
Company), The Rabbit family of pro-
grams let children practice their read-
ing, writing, and arithmetic skills while
they play entertaining games. (The IlGS
version of Reader Rabbit even talks!)

Rocky 's Boots, another award- winner,
challenges children to build colorful
logic gates which resemble Rube Gold-
berg contraptions.

• Math Blaster, Math and Me^ Alge-
Blaster, and Grammar Gremlins
(Davidson) • Piece of Cake Math
(Springboard). These popular programs
help your kids keep their arithmetic,
math, and language skills sharp while
playing arcade-style games. Math and
Me is unusual because it caters to pre-
schoolers, playfully drilling them in
arithmetic.

• Playing with Science: Temperature
(Sunburst) • Science Toolkit (Broder-
bund). Sunburst's program is a com-
bined temperature probe, cable, and

COMPUTE!

Summer Software

Program

Grade/ Age

Computers

Price

Publisher

Adventure Creator

Grades 5 & up

Apple II. 64

$6.95-$9.95

Spinnaker

Alge-Blaster

Grades 7-12

Apple 11, 64. MS-DOS

$49,95

Davidson

A - Series

Grades 7 & up

Apple, Atari. 64. MS-DOS

$19.95

American Educational

Barron's ACT

Grades 9-12

Apple It, MS-DOS

S79.95

Barron's

Create a Calendar

Grades 4 & up

Apple II, 64, MS-DOS

329.95

Epyx

Grammar Gremlins

Grades 3-6

Apple tl. MS-DOS

S49.95

Davidson

Jeopardy

Grades 4 & up

Apple II, 64. MS-DOS

$12,99

Sharedata

Lovejoy's SAT

Grades 9-12

Apple II. 64. Mac. MS-DOS

S39.95-S59.95

Simon & Schuster

Math and Me

Ages 3-6

Apple II

S39,95

Davidson

Math Blaster

Grades i -6

Apple 1!, Atari. 64. Mac, MS-DOS

S49.95

Davidson

Math Rabbit

Ages 4^7

Apple II. MS-DOS

$39.95

Learning Company

Music Construction Set

Grades K & up

Apple tl. Apple lias, Atan, Atari ST.
64, MS-DOS

$14,95-$49.95

Electronic Arts

The Newsroom

Grades 4 & up

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

S49J5-$59.95

Springboard

The Oregon Trail

Grades 5 & up

Apple 11

S55.00

MECC

The Perfect Score

Grades 9-1 2

Amiga. Apple II, 64, Mac. MS-DOS

S69.95-S79,95

Mindscape

Piece of Cake Math

Ages 7-13

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

$34.95

Springboard

Playing with Science:
Temperature

Grades 1-6

Apple II

S85.00

Sunburst

Postcards

Grades 4 & up

Apple II, Apple lies. 64, Mac, MS-
DOS

S24.95-$29.95

Activision

Phnt Shop

Grades K & up

Apple II. Apple IIgs, Atari. 64, Mac.
MS-DOS

S44.95-59.95

Broderbund

Reader Rabbit

Ages 4-7

Apple II. Apple llQS. 64, MS-DOS

S39.95-$59.95

Learning Company

Rooky's Boots

Ages 9 & up

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

S34.95-$49,95

Learning Company

SAT Complete

Grades 9-12

Apple II, 64. Mac. MS-DOS

S39.95-S99.95

Spinnaker

Science Toolkit

Grades 5 & up

Apple li

S39.95 each

Bi-oderbund

Seven Cities of Gold

Grades 6 & up

Ami^a. Apple II, Atari, 64. Mac. MS-

$14.95-519.95

Electronic Arls

Summer Games

Grades 4 & up

Apple II, Atari, 64

$19.95

Epyx

TtTlnk Quick

Ages 7-14

Apple II. MS-DOS

S49.95

Learning Company

Typing Tutor IV

Grades 5 & up

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

S49.95-$59.95

Simon & Schuster

Wheel of Fortune

Grades 4 & up

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

St2.99

Sharedata

Where in the USA (World,
Europe) is Carmen
Sandiego?

Grades 4 & up

Apple II. 64. MS-DOS

$34.95-S44.95

Broderbund

Writer Rabbit

Ages 7-10

Apple it, MS-DOS

$49.95

Learning Company

Activision
P.O. Box 7286
fVlountain View. CA 94039
(415)960-0410

American Educational Computer
7506 N. Broadway Ext
Suite 505

Oklahoma City, OK 731 16
(405) 840-6031

Barron's

250 Wireless Blvd.

Hauppauge, NY 11788

(516)434-3311

Broderbund

17 Paul Dr.

San Rafael. CA 94903-21 01

(415)492-3200

Davidson & Associates
3135KashiwaSt.
Torrance, CA 90505
(800)556-6141

Electronic Arts
1820Gatev^ay Dr
San Mateo, CA 94404
(415)571-7171

Epyx

600 Galveston Dr,

P.O. Box 8020

Redwood City, CA 94063

(415)366-0606

Learning Company
P.O. Box 2168
Menlo Park, CA 94026-2168
(800) 852-2255

MECC

3490 Lexington Ave. N.

St. Paul, MN 55126

(612)481-3500

Mindscape
3444 Dundee Rd.
Northbrook, fL 60062
(312)480-7667

Sharedata

7400 W. Detroit St.

Suite C-1 70

Chandler, A2 85226

(602)961-7519

Simon & Schuster
1 Gulf & Western Plaza
NewYork, NY 10023
(212)373-8882

Spinnaker

One Kendall Square

Cambridge, MA 02139

(617)494-1200

Springboard

7808 Creekridge Cir.

Minneapolis, MN 55435

(612)944^3915

Sunburst Communications
39 Washington Ave.
Pleasantville, NY 10570-2898
(914)769-5030

MAY 198

software package which lets your
kids run their own experiments on
the effects of temperature. It teaches
scientific thinking, appHed math,
and data analysis. .Apple II owners
should also take a look at Broder-
bund's Science Toolkii series. Three
modules, each $39.95, are available:
Speed and Motion, Earthquake Lab,
and Body Lab,

• Create a Calendar (Epyx) • Post-
cards (Activision) • Print SAo/? (Bro-
derbund) • The Newsroom

(Springboard). These programs might
be called "Summer Utility Pro-
grams." Your children can help plan
your family's summer activities with
Create a Calendar. Even if you never
get out of town this summer, your
kids will enjoy sending postcards
made with .Activision*s Postcards.
Broderbund's Print Shop creates invi-
tations to summer parties, banners
and signs for kids' lemonade stands,
and personalized letterheads for kids'
letters to pen pals, cereal prize offers,
and distant relatives. And Spring-
board's The Newsroom lets your chil-
dren create travel diaries and travel
scrapbooks which look like profes-
sional newsletters.

• The Perfect Score (Mindscape)

• Barron*5 ACT (Barron's) • Hayden's
5/4r (Spinnaker) • Lovejoy's SAT {Si-
mon & Schuster). Summer is a good
time for older children to prepare for
college entrance exams. You can set
up a regular schedule so that they
practice a few minutes each day
throughout the summer. Mind-
scape's package is notable because it
contains a disk called llie Perfect
College which helps you and your
child decide on the best college.

• Typing Tutor IV (Simon & Schus-
ter) • German, French, and Spanish

(American Educational Computer)

• Music Construction Set (Electronic
Arts). With all that time on their
hands, summer is the perfect oppor-
tunity for your kids to learn a new
skill or polish old ones. Typing Tu-
tor I V is a tried-and-true program
which refines anyone's typing abili-
ties. American Educational Com-
puter has a line of reasonably priced
language-drill programs for kids try-
ing to improve grades in foreign lan-
guage class, or for anyone thinking
of a trip abroad. Music Construction
Set offers children a chance to hone
music theor>'. composition, and lis-
tening skills while their music lessons
are suspended during the summer.

• Summer Games (Epyx) • Jeopardy,
Wheel of Fortune (Sharedata), Sum-
mer Games is a holdover from the

1 984 Summer Olympic Games, but

26 COMPUTEl

it should be a popular game this year
with the Olympic Games in Seoul.
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune give
you a chance to compete on your fa-
vorite TV program and maybe even
wake a few brain cells in the process.

' Adventure Creator (Spinnaker)

• Think Quick! (The Learning Com-
pany) • The Oregon Trail (MECC)

• Seven Cities of Gold (Electronic
Arts) • Where in the World (or USA
or Europe) is Carmen Sandiego?
(Broderbund). No list would be
complete without adventure
games — especially during the sum-
mer. The five games listed are spe-
cial because they offer something
beyond pure, mindless escape. Ad-
venture Creator lets your children
create adventure games of their own
with up to 100 rooms, mazes, boo-

by-traps, creatures, and, of course,
treasure. Think Quick!, Carmen
Sandiego. and The Oregon Trail
sharpen children's critical-thinking
skills, including problem-solving,
spatial and visualization skills, ob-
servation and analysis, and common
sense, Oregon Trail Siud Seven Cities
of Gold are historical simulations
which make social studies come
alive and let children experience
firsthand some of the problems con-
fronting early settlers and explorers.
Carmen Sandiego — in all her
forms — teaches students geography
and strengthens their reference and
research skills while they track down
a thief in the midst of a crime spree.

No Computer Couch
Potatoes Allowed!

These 30 summer fun programs will
keep your children busy, enter-
tained, and mentally active. But
what happens^ — and it's likeh- — ^if
the programs are too successful?
What if all your kids want to do is
spend endless hours indoors by
themselves, slumped over the com-
puter keyboard, blasting numbers,
blazing trails across Oregon, and

practicing the Olympic high jump?

Why is your child spending so
much time at the computer? A big
part of it is certainly because com-
puters are fascinating tools and toys.
But if your child is there all the time,
it may be because they have nothing
better to do. Or at least they think
they have nothing better lo do.

There's no single answer to chil-
dren's boredom, but there is a single
strategy. Organization. Children are
notoriously ''undcrorganized." As
long as their time is structured and
their day mapped out, they're
usually fine. It's good to organize
children's time, but it's even belter
to help children learn how to plan
and organize on their own.

This is where the computer
comes in.

Make a Calendar

The first warning sign of kids' sum-
mertime blahs is when the novelty
of being out of school wears off. This
happens when summer vacation
ceases to be a glorious liberation
from school and suddenly becomes
an endless succession of gray, fuzzy
days with nothing to do and nothing
to look forward to.

Now's the time to sit down with
your children and talk about the
family's plans for the summer. Get
out a calendar and mark the days
that the family will be traveling, go-
ing to special summer events, and
doing family activities.

You can turn your children
loose on a program like Epvic's Cre-
ate a Calendar or Brodcrbund's Print
Shop (with the Graphics Expander).
Let your children create a personal-
ized calendar which maps out the
family's summer plans. Your kids
might start by creating a calendar for
June and then make up new ones at
the beginning of July and August. It's
easy to illustrate the calendars with
special graphics and even color them
with markers, paints, or crayons after
the calendar is printed.

The trick here is lo share your
family's plans with your children so
they're aware of the fun things that lie
ahead and so they see themselves
pla\ing an active part in planning the
family's summer activities.

Lists and Ideas

One summer I decided to take a
break from writing, so I grabbed my
two children and drove them around
the Olympic Peninsula in Washing-
ion Slate and then north to Alaska.
We went backpacking, hiking, and
camping. We had a ball.

Before we left, I went to the store
and bought each child a spiral-

bound notebook. I asked them
to use the notebook to plan out
the details of our trip. Where should
we go? What should we see? What
camping supplies should we bring?
What clothes should each person
pack? What reading material? What
stuffed animals?

Both of my children spent hours
thinking through details of the trip,
visiting the drug store, the grocer>^
store, the camping store, and imag-
ining things that we would need and
activities we could do. Later, when
we actually made the trip, we used
many of their ideas. Their advance
planning helped. Talking over their
ideas, too, whetted everyone^s appe-
tite for the trip and built up excite-
ment long before we left home.

Your children can do some-
thing similar with your computer.
They could use your word processor,
spreadsheet, and database programs
to help you plan your major summer
excursions.

On Their Own

What happens when your kids get
tired of list making and planning?
That's the time to get them thinking
about summer activities and pro-
jects they might do by themselves.

If you want to keep your sanity,
it will come to this. Most families
can spend only a small fraction of
the summer traveling and doing fun
and exciting things. There's still go-
ing to be that vast block of time
when the kids are left to fend for
themselves around the house. Bore-
dom quickly sets in, and the culprit
is monotony — one day flowing end-
lessly into the next.

Before your children become
terminally bored, encourage them to
sit down at the computer and draw
up a list of personal projects they'd
like to do during the summer. Now
that they Ve helped plan the family's
activities for the summer, they'll be
familiar with the overall schedule.

They'll be much more realistic in
making plans for their own
activities.

The key is for them to think up
projects which they can do each day
of the summer which help them
structure their time — and give them
something fun to look forward to
each day.

Start with your children's cur-
rent interests. Do they like cars,
horses, clothes, astronomy, science,
stamp collecting, building things? Sit
down with your children and ex-
plore the nooks and crannies of their
minds. What things fascinate them?
What activities do they naturally do
on their own? What are their grand
dreams now that school is out?

Summer Computer
Projects

Earlier, I listed 30 programs which
help children do something specific
with the computer. But the best pro-
grams are ones which you already
have^ — ^word processors, spread-
sheets, and databases. These are gen-
eral-purpose organizing tools and
can be used for almost any activity
you and your children think up.
These programs probably won't cost
you anything because you already
have them. (And if you don't, you
should seriously consider buying
one of each; they're indepensible
tools for all kinds of computer
chores.) Another plus is that your
children can gain valuable practice
with their spelling, writing, and
math skills during the months when
most kids' skills are getting rusty.

General-purpose applications
like word processors, spreadsheets,

and databases also help connect the
computer to real-world activities.
Your children will use the computer,
but only as a tool to help them
accomplish something else.

This is an important criterion
parents should look for: Can your
children combine the computer ac-
tivity with other noncomputer activ-
ities in their lives, or does the
activity isolate the children and pull
them away from other people and
other activities?

Here are some examples of tra-
ditional summertime activities
which can be enhanced using a
computer.

Baseball Card Collection

You can help your children set up a
baseball database. They can enter all
their new cards on the database. The
database can print out reports of all
players by team, by batting average,
by value of the card, and so on. The
database is a perfect tool for keeping
track of a player's personal statistics.
With a word processor and your
local reference librarian, your chil-
dren can write fan letters to their
major league heroes. And with a pro-
gram like Broderbund's Print Shop,
your children can print out banners
and flyers for their own fan club or
create a personalized baseball-style
letterhead.

Weather Station

Weather is great. Unless you live in
Key West or Death Valley, the
weather is different every day. Your
children can use the computer to
track the weather and even make
predictions. Your local hobby store
should have a weather kit for sale,
but you can start out simpler by send-
ing your child outdoors as a weather
observer, armed with an empty can
(to measure rainfall), a thermometer,
and a book on clouds. They can
keep a weather journal on the

MAY 19

{ The Right Stuff "

-NY Times (Aug. 25. ws/j

Strap yourself into Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer."

The only flight simulation co-designed by the greatest test
pilot ever And with action so fast even experienced pilots
'auger \n[ The nght stuff is right here.

Test the limits of 14 different
aircraft using Yeager's own
evaluation checklist. From the
classicVUWI Sopwith Camel to
themach"SpeedSR-7] Black-
bird, Push the experimental
XPG-12 to the edge of space-

Fly formation on Yeager's wing
through Dead IVIan's Slalom.
Catch the breathtaking fear of
a Hammerhead stall, the
adrenaline rush of an aileron
roll, the thrill of your first
Cuban 8.

Race computer opponents
through white-knuckle
courses. Bolt past obstacles
and run narrow gates. Skim
the ground at top speed, wing-
to -wing with your rival. View
the action from a chase plane
or the tower

Seat-of-the-pants flying in
the only simulation with over
forty years of experience.
Yeager insisted on actual air-
craft specs and his own flight
evaluation charts. Climb into
the cockpit and see if youVe
got the Yight stuff.

HOW TO ORDER: Visst yojr retailer or call 800-
245-4525 for direct VISA or MasterCard orders
f m CA call 80 0 - 562- 1 n 2) , The direct order
price is S39 95 for the IBM version and $34.95
for the CBh version. Send a US check or
money order to Elecimnic Arts Direct Sates,
PO Box 7530. San Mateo. CA 94403. Add
S3 for shipping and hgndling [$5 Canadian]
Please allow 1-2 weeks for US delivery CommQ
for the Apple il IBM is a registered iradenf\ark
of Interneiional Business Machines. Inc. C64 is
a registered trademark of Commodore
Electronics Limited. Software® ^987 Ned Lerner

PHOTO COURTESY NORTHROP AVIATION /ALLEN QUINN^
Headline quote c t987 by The New York Times Company
Reprinted by permission.

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Have Computer, Will Travel

Finally. The day for your family's vaca-
tion has arrived. You've packed up the
suitcases, watered the plants, and put
the dog in the kennel. You think you're
ready to go. But haven't you forgotten
something?

You forgot to pack the computer.
This may sound like the last thing you
want to take with you. but there are
compelling reasons to bring the com-
puter along. Here are a few,

Motel Nights. Nothing can be more
painful than being stuck in a tiny motel
room with hyperactive children, a sullen
spouse, and an illegal pet. This, unfortu-
nately, is the fate of many summer trav-
elers. The computer can rescue you and
your family from this. Since you're stuck
together anyway, this is a good time for
working on computer projects together.
Maybe you've been wanting to teach
your daughter how to use the word
processor or your son how to program
in BASIC. Now's as good a time as any.

Travel Diary. Another thing you can
do each night on a trip is keep a travel
diary using your family's word proces-
sor. Your kids can each have their own
computer disk to store their diary files.
They can make a diary entry every eve-
ning after the day's activities. Who
knows? The diaries may be useful for
those what-i-did-this-summer com-
positions once school begins in the fail.

Squeeze in Some Work. You're on
vacation and trying to put as many miles
between you and your office as possible.

But. face it, you probably brought
along some work that needed
doing, and you're hoping to
squeeze it in while you're on
your trip.

With your computer,
you can do that work at
odd moments, maybe
early in the morning
t>efore your family gets
up or in the evenings
after things have settled
down. It's also a great
distraction on those
afternoons when ^^^
you've gotten
too much morn-
ing sun and you'd
do better to stay
indoors.

If you have a modem, even better.
Now you can wire your memos, reports,
and analyses into the office computer
via the telephone.

Tracking Trip Costs. In the movie
European Vacation, Chevy Chase and
his family ran out of money in the middle
of their sightseeing tour across the
Continent. That's easy to do.

A computer can be very handy
here. If you regularly enter your major
expenses, you can keep close tabs on
things and budget better each day.
Maybe you'll even get home with a few
dollars in your pocket.

Vacation Videos. After you get
back from vacation, you and your chil-

dren can edit your vacation videotapes
and add colorful titles and credits using
the graphics programs on your com-
puter. To create a video title, just draw it
on the computer screen and then dis-
connect the cable from the back of your
monitor and plug it into the VIDEO IN
jack on the back of your VCR. When
you press Record on the VCR, you're
capturing the image from the computer
screen onto your videotape.

If you're not a video buff, use the
computer to dress up your scrapbook
snapshots. Using a popular print pro-
gram like Print Shop, your children can
create titles which they can cut out and
paste to the pages of your scrapbook.

word processor, build a weather data-
base, and create charts and graphs from
weather statistics entered inio a spread-
sheet. If this gets them excited, just
have them consuh the local newspaper
for weather conditions around the na-
tion. If you're lucky, they'll soon be
tracking weather in such far-away lo-
cales as Falls Church, Grand Junction,
and Baton Rouge.

Wild Bug Safaris

If your family has a camera or a video
camera, you can send your children off
on wild bug safaris around the neigh-
borhood. Most of the new video cam-
eras have macro lenses which act as a
video magnifying glass for intrepid
young explorers who Uke to look at
wildUfe really close up. The advantage
of using a camera is that your children
are encouraged to leave the creatures
outside (where they belong). When your
kids track down a new bug, their job is
to identify it using the family encyclo-
pedia or reference books at the local li-
brary. They can use the word processor

to keep a journal of their explorations
and a database program to record and
organize their important discoveries.
When they've inventoried the local in-
sect population, you might encourage
them to branch out to other forms of
wildlife, including birds, squirrels, or
even neighborhood pets.

Junior Sales Club

Kids need money during the summer-
time, so they're always thinking up
good business propositions. A com-
puter makes a perfect tool for your bud-
ding businessperson. My son Eric
recently sold 35 boxes of popcorn to
raise money for his local Cub Scout
pack here in Lansing, Michigan. Eric's
only eight, but in a single afternoon, I
taught him how to use a simple spread-
sheet program and how to "keep his
books" on the computer. For a week,
Eric sat down at the computer every
day after school and tallied his popcorn
sales, checked the accounts with his
shoe box full of money, and tracked the
customers who still hadn't paid.

Clubhouse Decorations

Almost every kid creates a clubhouse
sometime. The clubhouse might be a
bunch of boards in a tree, a bedroom
rigged up with ropes and overturned
chairs, or a maze of boxes in the base-
ment. Kids love to decorate their club-
houses. This is a good time to suggest
using the computer to create signs and
banners for their clubhouse and mem-
bership cards for the club's members.
The key to success with all these
activities is simple: Build from your
child's current interests, wait until the
time is ripe, and use software you al-
ready have around the house. This
saves you lime (you're already familiar
with your software) and money (you
don't have to buy a new program). And
your child gets to do what he or she al-
ready wanted to do — only better! El

Fred D'Ignazio is the author of numerous books
and a popular speaker on educational computing
issues. He has two children, lots of summer soft-
ware, and a dread of unfilled summer days.

MAY 1986

^^md^iSk U ^.

'■^cf^-

e Ultimate Computer Baseball Simulation

•••• + Four Stars Plus

Info Magazine

By Eddie Dombrower,
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Earl Weaver

TheCriticiX
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"The definitive baseball game av
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Computer Entertainer

"It's all there. You can trade, set up
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Computer Shoptalk

• IBM/Tandy version is NOT COPY
PROTECTED-

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• TV special effects like instant
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• Four different playing modes for ^
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From Sandlot to Major Leagues.

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• Cumulative stats compiler.

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the pitcher's doing.

• Over 50 hitter/fielder ratings.

• Over 30 pitcher ratings.
^ Play on turf or natural grass.

le Green Monster at Fenway. At
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ELECTRONIC ARTS'

Settle down the pitcher. ^
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fielders: even ask Earl what he'd do;

How to Order: Visit your relatler or call BOO 245-4525 for direct Visa or M;C orders {in CA call 800 562*1112>. The direct price is S3935 for tBM & Tandy, S49.9S for Amiga. Send U.S.
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Compute in planes,

"-^ trains, and

automobiles — and a

t thousand other

Jaces— when you

I have a portable

personal computer.

Arlan Levitan

f the user can't come to the computer, the computer musl come to the li
Such IS the credo of the laptop computer communaty, a varkd collection of
workaholics, regular travelers, computer hobhyists, and student<». While
Adam Osborne and the 28-puund (isborne I portable are generally acknowl-
edged to be the founders of the faith, things have chanjjed radically since the intri*-
duction of the first transportable computers,

Advancers in technology have dramatically shrunk the sl/,e and weijuht of porta-
bles, w bile increasing the memory and disk storage capabilties to rival that of pow-
erful desktop systems. The development of speciatized chips w ith extremely low-
power requirements and liquid crystal display (IX'D) technology have subslantf ally
freed the portable from its power umbilical cord .

If the thought of a fully functional computer system—in a package about the
the si/e and weight of a telephone book— intrigues you, y(»uVe a good candidate for
a laptop computer.

7 hree years ago, most industry experts claimed that the laptop market had
been saturated by the Tandy Model 100. The limited success of various portables
introduced in 1985 and 1986 seemed to bear those predictions out. In retrospect, the
market for laptops wasn't dying, it was approaching critical mass. The introduction
of the IBM Convertible laptop legitimized the genre in the minds of many computer
users and manufacturers. The past year has seen over two dozen new lightweight
machines for computing on the hoof, and X-ray machine operators at airports now
yawn instead of reaching for their guns when the electronic innards of a carry-on
computer pup up on their screen, f fere's a brief look at six of today's
best battery-powered machines.

Laptop
Lingo

Computers carry extra bag-
gage^argon that's difficult to
understand for the uninitiated.
And laptops, a particular sub-
culture of computers, tias its
own lingo. Here are enough
expianations of computer- and
laptop-specific terms to at
least get you througti this arti-
cle, maybe enough to get you
past the laptop salesperson,

BackliL Since LCD screens
depend on reflective light, add-
ing a small built-in light nnakes
text and graphics much easier
to see in low-light conditions.

BPS. Bits per second \s the
speed at which information is
transferred from one computer
to another, usually when con-
nected via modem. Divide the
bps rate by 10, and you have a
rough character per second
(cps) transfer rate. At 300 bps,
for instance, approximately 30
characters are transmitted
every second.

K. Stands for Kilobyte, which is
1024 bytes of data. (A single
text character, for instance,
takes up one byte in a com-
puter file,) It IS used in this arti-
cle to show how much memory
(RAM) a particular computer
may have.

Laptop. Computers which
weigh less than 20 pounds,
have a flat-screen display, and
include interna! batteries
(whether rechargeable or not)
fall into the laptop category.
Within this definition are
numerous variations, as this
article attests.

LCD. Liquid Crystal Display,

the dominant display in Sap-
tops, uses efectrically charged
crystals to form characters and
graphics. Attractive to laptop
computer manufacturers t)e-
cause of their low power con-
sumption, LCD screens are
also used in such consumer
products as digital watches.

MJcrofioppy. The hard-shelled
3¥2-inch disks which are used
in virtually all disk-equipped
laptops. The other standard
drive size, commonly used in
desktop computers, is the 5V4-
inch floppy.

Microprocessor. The brain of
a computer, this single chip
processes the information it re-
ceives from programs in RAM
and ROM. t>

Tandy 102

The Tandy 102 is a rugged, compact machine
that gets lop marks for its portability. The sys-
tem weighs only three pounds, is about the size
of a magazine, and is an inch-and-a-half thick,
making it easy to stow in a backpack or
briefcase.

The screen is a fixed LCD panel that
shows 40 characters on each of its 8 lines.
While the display is not a supertwist or a hack! it
LCD [portable and computer jargon have been
italicized for easy reference — see the sidebar
''Laptop Lingo"], the large size of the charac-
ters and the ability to adjust the screen contrast
yields very good legibility.

The 56 full-size keys of the keyboard are
laid out in standard typewriter formal. There
are also programmable function keys, an im-
bedded numeric keypad, and separate cursor
movement controls. The keys are adequately
spaced and have a good feel, but rapid typing
on the 102 produces a noticeable clatter.

Unlike most other laptops, an internal 300
bps modem is a standard feature of the Model
102. Connection ports for a printer, bar-code
reader, and serial devices are also provided.

The Model 102's maximum memory of
32KofIl4M may seem small in comparison to
the 640K MS-DOS laptops, but the five pro-
grams built into the system squeeze a lot of util-
ity into a small package. The ROM-based text
editor, B.A.SIC programming language, address
book, appointment scheduler, and telecommu-
nications programs are enough for many users.

While on the go, files are normally stored
in the 102's memory and may be moved to an
optional external disk, to a cassette drive, or to
another computer via the 102's modem or seri-
al port. Four A.A-size alkaline batteries provide
power for up to 20 hours of operation, and an
internal nicad batler>' preserves the contents of
memory for up to 30 days. An AC adapter
($5.95) is also available.

The Model 102 is completely compatible
with its popular forebear, the Tandy Model
100. An extremely wide selection of hardware
accessories and public domain and commercial
programs are available.

Although it is not MS-DOS compatible,
the 102 is an affordable, lightweight system ca-
pable of doing a yeoman^s service. Good third-
party support and convenient service through
local Radio Shack stores continues to make the
Tandy 102 (and Model 100) a faniiliar sight in
press boxes and college classrooms.

Datavue Spark

The Datavue Spark is an intelligently designed
IBM PC-compatible laptop. One of the most
desirable aspects of the Spark is that the variety
of system configurations offered by Datavue ef-
fectively lets you ''roll your own" laptop.

The Spark's numeric processing power is a
little over twice as fast as the original IBM PC.
A S995 stripped down Spark comes equipped
with one 3 '/2-inch microfloppy disk drive and
384K of memory. When fitted with an optional
rechargeable battery, a one-drive system weighs
a shade over ten pounds and will run for over
three hours on a charge.

The standard supertwist LCD display is
very good, with unusually high contrast. At ex-
tra cost, you can get an excellent backlit LCD
screen second only to the much admired screen
of Zenith's latest laptops.

All Sparks come equipped with parallel
and serial ports as well as ports for an external
RGB or composite monitor, and an optional
external 5'/4-inch disk drive. System memory
may be expanded to a full 640k by opting for a
256K expansion card. Room is also provided
for a second disk drive and an internal
300/1200 bps modem.

The 77-key keyboard features an embed-
ded numeric keypad and ten function keys
spread across the top. The Spark's keyboard
feels good, but it's set a little too far back from
the front edge of the system.

The Spark has a number of convenient fea-
tures not found on other machines. Built-in
ROM -based utilities let you toggle the micro-
processor speed, set the backlit display to shut
off after a specified time, and do a wide variety
of other things.

But unlike most other laptops, there are no
spring-loaded dust flaps shielding the disk drive
slots when they're empty. Although the built-in
handle is convenient, it feels less than secure.
And while the Spark's overall construction is
sturdy enough, its appearance and fit are not up
to the standards of competing systems.

These Haws, however, are easy to overlook
when weighed against the Spark's overall versa-
tility, cost, and ease of use. By letting you graft
a wide variety of options onto a solid base sys-
tem, Datavue helps you find a laptop that fits
both your needs and your pocketbook. i>

32 COMPUTE

Laptop Etiquette

Powering up a laptop requires a bit more thought
than a desktop computer. The problem lies not in
how to turn it on, of course, but in how to decide
where, and when, it's appropriate to use your
laptop. Here are ten places, for instance, when
popping the top of your laptop may not be the
best idea.

1. At the dinner table. It's hard enough to get
the entire family together these days, much !ess
with someone clicking away behind a pile of
mash potatoes and meatloaf. Eating and com-
puters don't mix very well anyway. Crumbs, gra-
vy, soup, and wine aren't appreciated by most
keyboards and circuits.

2. In church. Tapping toes in rhythm to the cur-
rent psalm may be trendy, but it doesn't mean
keyboard clacking can substitute. Look at it this
way: Be thankful there are a few places where
you can't take your computer — and your work —
with you.

3. On the airplane next to someone who's
never seen a laptop. You won't get any work
done, honest. Before you see the A> appear,
you'll be answering questions like "Whaf s
that?" or "Are you sure that won't make the
plane crash?" Corollaries include never using a
laptop during in-f fight movies (you'll lose your
eyesight trying to see the screen in the dim light)
and never using a laptop next to an Jn-flight
drunk {you don't want a spilled drink— or
worse — in your keyboard, do you?).

4. While you drive. Pay no attention to those
people who dial cellular phones from their mov-
ing automobile. Dialing a phone is child's play
compared to typing on your laptop. Whatever

information you Ye entering or retrieving, let it
wait. Ignore this rule when you're stuck in grid-
lock or driving across Wyoming.

5. At the movies, unless it's a drive-in or it
stars Robbie Benson. Enough said.

6. Actually on the beach. Someone may have
told you to buy a laptop so you could write that
great novel while on vacation, but they didn't
mean to take it down to the water's edge. Sand
has a habit of getting in places other than your
teeth and bathing suit. And just because the
computer's chips are made of sand doesn't
mean they yearn for their birthplace.

7. Ifi the tub. Electricity loves water. Realiy,
Makes it go fast and hot. The only time you
should take a bath with your laptop is when you
pay for it.

8. At a Macintosh user group's meeting. For

the present, there are no economical Macintosh
laptops, fylac owners, some who think their ma-
chine is the best thing since sliced silicon, don't
like to be reminded. This rule gets repealed as
soon as a Macintosh laptop costs less than
$2,500.

9. In a classroom (to play something like Star-
f light). Your instructor will know you're not sim-
ply taking notes when, after blowing that alien
spaceship to smithereens, you jump up and
shout "Tee-hahh!"

10. On the subway late at night. There's a bet-
ter way to do what you're doing. Just put a big
sign on your forehead that says, * 'Yuppie Victim
Here."

—Gregg Keizer

Toshiba 1000

Weighing in at a mere 6.2 pounds and able to
leap into any standard briefcase with ease, the
Toshiba 1000 is the undisputed featherweight
champ of MS-DOS laptops. It's also relatively
inexpensive ($1,199), but it lacks some of the'
muscle of more expensive heav>' hitlers.

The lOOO's non-backlit supertwisi LCD
screen has adequate contrast, but it's extremely
difficult to read under less-than-optimal light-
ing condiiions. With 24 lines stuffed into a
three-inch tall screen, the display can some-
times look crowded.

Processmg power is exactly the same as a
standard IBM PC, which places the 1000 ai the
low end of the MS-DOS compatible laptop
spectrum. The rechargeable battery provides al-
most three hours of operation between charges.
The 82-key keyboard has an extremely low pro-
file but is surprisingly comfortable and well-
suited for touch typists.

The 1000 comes equipped with 512K of
RAM and a single 3'/2-inch disk drive. Connec-
tors on the computer's rear panel allow the
1000 to operate an external RGB monitor, par-
allel printer, and various serial devices. There's
no provision for a second internal drive. That
limitation is mitigated by MS-DOS being built
into the system's ROM and the availability of
an expansion card that lets you use the 1000 as
a diskless computer.

The optional ($549) memory expansion
card provides an additional 768Kof LIM (Lo-
lus/Intel/Microsoft standard) expanded memo-
r>^ Of the 768K, I28K may be used to fill out
the lOOO's main memory to 640K, and the bal-
ance may be dedicated as a nonvolatile ram-
disk. .An optional 300/1200 bps internal
modem is also available.

The Toshiba 1000 floats like a butterfly
and stings like a standard IBM PC. It's a won-
derful example of clever engineering, and it's
the machine of choice for those who demand
maximum portability in a PC-compatible lap-
top and who can live with the inconveniences
dictated by that design. i>

Modem. A device which con-
verts digital signals from a
computer to the analog signals
the phone system can under-
stand (and vice versa). Neces-
sary for computer tele-
communications.

MS-DOS, Microsoft's Disk Op-
erating System (or the varia-
tions termed PC-DOS) has
been the standard since the
IBM PC was introduced. MS-
DOS provides the interface t>e-
tween the computer's
hardware and its software, ai-
fowing you to store information
on disks and carry out file and
disk maintenance tasks.

Nicad. Nickel-cadium batteries
can take repeated recharging
and still deliver power. Their
relatively heavy weight is one
of the factors against ultra-light
laptops.

Nonvolatile. Though not per-
manent, nonvolatile memory
retains its information after the
main computer power is turned
off.

Ports, Connectors, usually on
the back of a computer, used
to link the machine to such de-
vices as printers, disk drives,
monitors, and modems.

RAM. Random Access Memory
is the part of a computer's
memory that's used to tempo-
rarity store programs and data
files. When the power is turned
off, information in RAM vanishes.

Ramdisk. A part of RAM thafs
designated as a "disk drive."
Since the "drive" is completely
electronic, with no moving
parts, retrieving programs and
data (or storing them) ts ex-
tremely fast.

RGB. Color monitor which
mixes red, green, and blue to
create a multitude of other col-
ors. It's the standard type of
color monitor in the IBM PC
and compatible world.

ROM. Read-Only Memory, as
opposed to RAM, is perma-
nent. Information stored in
ROM (usually programs neces-
sary to njnning the computer
system) remains coherent
when the power is turned off.

Supertwist A method, used in
manufacturing, of improving
the legibility of LCD displays.

Telecommunications. The

process of tranmitting infor-
mation, via computer, from one
location to another using a mo-
dem and the phone lines,

MAY 1988 33

In Your Lap

Portability, For the frequent
traveJer, less is generally more.
As long as the machine meets
your needs, the lighter the bet-
ter. By the end of the day, a
couple of pounds can make
the difference between being
tired and feeling fresh. Ma-
chines that will fit in a briefcase
allow you to keep one hand
free for hailing cabs and beat-
ing off Moonies In airports.

Display quality and aspect
ratio. The clarity of a laptop's
display has a direct relationship
to how long you can comtort-
ably use it. If you can't easily
see what's on your system's
screen, you're likely to develop
a mild case of eyestrain or a
splitting headache. Backlit LCD
or gas plasma displays are
easiest on the eyes and are
readable under almost any
conditions. The best non-back-
lit LCD displays use special
high contrast supertwist tech-
nology that works well under
medium- to high-light levels but
will still leave most users
squinting under low light. The
ratio of height to width of most
laptop displays is lower than
that of the displays used with
desktop systems. The shorter
the screen, the more com-
pressed graphic images will
appear.

Battery/power characteris-
tics. The amount of useful op-
erating time between charges
may limit the usefulness of a
laptop. You can spend half of a
coast-to-coast flight twiddling
your thumbs if your machine is
relatively power hungry or the
battery is not fully charged.
While they're being used, disk
drives and internal modems
put an extra bad on batteries.
Some units' batteries are easily
removed, allowing you to canry
several fully-charged packs.

Compatibility, if you already
own a desktop system, being
able to run the same programs
on both your laptop and desk-
top computers can be a defi-
nite plus. Most of today's
laptops are IBM PC-compati-
ble, but data such as text files
can be easily moved between
dissimilar systems via modem
or serial port.

Storage. One or two SYz-inch

microfloppy disk dhves will
generally be adequate for most
laptop users. An internal hard
disk dhve offers great conven-
ience but typically makes a lap
machine heavier and substan-
tially more expensive.

d4 COMPUTE!

Epson Equity LT

While the Equity LT is a relative
latecomer to the PC-compatible laptop
nnarkei, the Epson name has long been
associated with laptop computers.
The firm's prior experience has been
put to good use, resulting in a fast,
flexible, and feature-laden 12V2-pound*
system.

The LT comes equipped with a
full 640K of memor>' and two
3V2-inch disk drives. With
nearly Vh times the compu-
tational power of a standard
IBM PC, the Equity is one of
the fastest battery-powered laptops available,

The Equity has two internal proprietary
expansion slots, although the only announced
accessory is a 300/1200 bps modem. External
serial, parallel, 5V4-inch drive, and RGB moni-
tor ports are standard. An optional 20-mega-
byte hard drive may be substituted for the
second floppy drive.

The standard non-backJit LCD display is
yellow, rather than the more commonplace
purple/blue. While the display takes some get-
ting used to, Epson claims that the yellow
screen is actually easier on the eyes. An LT
with the standard display can operate up to sev-
en hours between batter\^ recharges. An extra-
cost blue backlit LCD display is also available.

The Equity LT's keyboard is an accoun-
tant's dream. The large keyboard includes a
separate numeric keypad to the right of the En-
ter key and ten function keys across the top.

Owners of desktop PCs will appreciate the
inclusion of Traveling Software's excellent Lap-
Link file transfer program with all Equity LT
machines.

The Equity LT is a solid laptop offering
from a firm with a reputation for reliable and
well-designed products. Although the LT is a
bit on the heavy side, its high performance,
comfortable keyboard, and expandability make
ii an attractive choice for the first-time laptop
purchaser.

NEC Multispeed

The NEC Multispeed is a fast, versatile, PC
compatible laptop with a number of interesting
twists.

The Multispeed was the first laptop ma-
chine to use a true 16-bit microprocessor. It's
more than twice as fast as a standard IBM PC
640K of memory is standard, and up to
1 26K of main memory may be set up as a
nonvolatile ramdisk.

Five ROM-based applications are
standard, including a text editor with spelling
checker, an outliner, a simple database, a tele-
phone dialer, and a terminal program. The
system's 5 12K of ROM also contains exten-
sive online help screens that may be called up
at the press of a button.

The Multispeed was one of the first lap-
tops to use supertwist LCD technology. The
standard display has good contrast but is diffi-

cult to read under low^ light conditions. An op-
tional backlit screen is also available.

The 85-key keyboard has a solid touch and
has the ten function keys on the right hand
side, an arrangement users of older PC key-
boards will appreciate, .4 full-size numeric key-
pad is included, but it's located above the main
key group to conserve space.

Two 3 '/2-inch microfloppy drives are in-
cluded, as well as serial, parallel, and RGB
color monitor ports. Internal modems — both
300/1200 and 300/1200/2400 bps models— are
available. The standard Multispeed weighs 1 1.2
pounds and operates for about three and a half
hours between charges.

The NEC Multispeed is a solid machine,

with an intelligent design

and a healthy dose of speed.

When introduced in early 1987, it set

new standards for batter\'-operated laptops and

continues to hold its own today. >

TkBin wffiNRIfor a high paying
career servicing computers.

for quick and easy
measurements.

LESSONS-Clear. well illustmted
texts buiid yoyr understanding
of computers step-by-step.

MHsc turbo speed,

t drive.
!|Hz and 8

lemally for dranyitic improve-
ment [n data storaj^e capacity^
and data access speed. '^

MONITOH-High. resolution

green. screen dispta>'s; crbp
test and graphics*

DISK SOimVARK^
including MS-DOS. CW
BASIC. WordStar,

and CalcSlar.

TECHNICAL MANUALS
— vtith complete specs on
Sanyo computer and
professional programs.

DISCOVKRY LAB-LJsing ft.

you construct and test
circuits like those used
^^ith computers.

OICITAl,
J-OGIC
PHOfJK-
S imp) (Ties
analyzing digital
circuit opera ti{>n.

Get started now by building this
fully PC -compatible computer

Now you get it all . . . training for one of
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system. Only NRI can give you the well-
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NRI gives you a complete computer
system, . .computer, monitor, floppy
disk drive, hai'd disk drive, software,
even test instruments like a DMM and
logic probe to work with and keep. It all
adds up to training that builds the
knowledge and ability you need to suc-
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Get inside the newest Sanyo Computer
—fully compatible with the IBM PC*

As an NRI student, you'll get total
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your own latest model Sanyo 880 Series
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best of all, it runs progranis almost twice
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Sanyo 880, you'll perform demonstra-
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you a total mastery of computer
operation and ser\icing techniques.
You'll do programming in BASIC
language^ even run and interpret
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Understanding you get only
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You need no pre\dous knowledge to
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basics, rapidly building on the funda-
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lessons. You perform hands-on experi-
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and then move on to master advanced
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Learn at home in your spare time

You train in your own home at your
own convenience, backed at all times
by your own NRI instructor and the
entire NRI staff of educators and
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*IBM is a registered
trademark of Internationa]
Business Machines Corp.

SCHOOLS

McGraw-IiiU Continuing Education Center
3939 Wisconsin Avenue ^i'l^M
Washington, DC 20016 J^ijlj j|

We'll give you tomorrow

The Price of
Portability

Brooklyn Bridge (S1 29.95)

White Crane Systems

6889 Peachtree industrial Blvd..

Suite 151

Norcross, GA 30092

(404)394-3119

Datavue Spark (1 drive. 384K—

$995; 2 drive. 640K. backlit—

SI .450)

Datavue

1 Mecca Way

Norcross, GA 30093

(404) 564-5555

DJconix 150 portable printer

(S479)

Diconix, A Kodak company

3100 Research Blvd.

P.O.Box 3100

Dayton. OH 45420

(513)259-3100

Epson Equity LT (dual floppy-
Si ,895, no screen); hard disk/
floppy— $2,995. no screen)
Epson America
2780 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance. CA 90505
(800)421-5426

Heath/Zenith 181 and 183,

(2-181 — $2,399; Z-1 83— $3,599),
Zenith Data Systems
1000 Milwaukee Ave,
Gienview, IL 60025
(800) 842-9000

Lap-Link ($129.95)

Traveling Software
North Creek Corporate
Center, #109
19310 North Creek Pkwy.
BothelKWA 98011
(206)483-8088

NEC IVlulti-Speed EL ($2,495),

NEC Home Electronics (USA)

1255 Michael Or.

Wood Dale, IL 5019M094

(312)860-9500

Parrot 1200 modem (Si 19)
Novation
21345 Lassen St.
Chatsworth.CA 91311
(818)998-5060

PocketModem ($259)

Migent

P.O. Box 6062

Incline Village. NV 89402

(800)633-3444

Tandy Model 102 ($499)

Tandy/Radio Shack
1 800 One Tandy Center
FortWbrth, TX76102
(817)390-3011

Toshiba 1000 ($1,199)

Toshiba America
Information Systems Divisbn
9740 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92718
(714)583-3000

WorldPort 1200 ($199); WorldPort

2400 (S359)

Touchbase Systems

160 Laurel Ave-

Northport, NY11768

516-261-0423

The Well-Equipped Laptop

Carrying cases. A carrying case is an essential
accessory unless your laptop is snnall enough to
fit in a briefcase or you move it about infrequent-
ly. While a shopping bag might do, a case de-
signed for your laptop offers better protection
from the elements and often has connpartments
for AC power supplies, disks, and other odds
and ends. Most cases offered by manufacturers
won't keep a laptop from being damaged if
dropped on a hard surface from a height of more
than a couple of feet. If you're rough on your
equipment, consider using a hard or soft case in-
tended for protecting photographic equipment
instead. HaJliburtoo Zero, Pelikan, and Lowe Pro
make top-notch cases that will accommodate
most popular laptops. Look for these cases in
most photography stores.

Portable printers. Getting it down on paper lets
you share your work with others and lets you
conveniently reference material without having to
boot up your machine- Portable printers used to
be AC-only affairs that were often as heavy as to
computers to which they were attached. Kodak s
Diconix 1 50 is the most notable of recent offer-
ings. The Diconix ($499 list) is a nicad battery-
powered, ink-jet unit about the size and weight of
an average hardcover novel.

Modems. Internal modems offered by laptop
manufacturers may tDe convenient, but they're
relatively expensive and use valuable battery
power while in use. Inexpensive external mo-
dems no larger than a deck of playing cards are
less expensive and are easy to pack along. If
youVe a portable telecomputer on a budget,
check out the Novation Parrot 1200, Migent
PocketModem, and WorldPort 1200 and 2400.
File Transfer Programs. You can move files be-
tween machines (typically between a laptop and
a desktop, or vice versa) by using terminal soft-
ware with file transfer capabilities, but doing so
can be a slow, tedious process. Specialized file
transfer programs such as White Crane's Brook-
lyn Bridge and Traveling Software's Lap-Link for
IBM PC compatible systems simplify the process
of moving multiple files and do so at speeds 12
times faster than the fastest speed of most ter-
minal software.

Spares. If you rely heavily on your laptop, double
up on items that may put you out of service,
even though your machine is perfectly functional.
A spare AC power supply is insurance against
losing the original. An extra rechargeable battery
can extend your untethered operating time.

Zenith Z-183

If you think you've never seen a lap computer
with a display you can live with, odds are youVe
never seen a Zenith Z-1 80 series laptop. Add a
hard disk to the equation, and you have a com-
pact machine that makes few compromises.

The Z-1 83's standard backlit display is vi-
sually stunning. Dark blue characters clearly
stand against a shocking blue background from
almost any viewing angle. Screen brightness
and contrast are adjustable across a wide range.
The 6X8 inch display area yields an image
with no trace of aspect distortion- Characters
are not crunched vertically, and plotted circles
are irulv circular.

The Z-183 has 640K of memory. A full
megabyte of expanded memor\' may be added
with an optional add-in card. Processing speed
of the Z-1 83 is adequate, clocking in at about
1.4 limes faster than a standard IBM PC.

One 3'/?-inch microfloppy drive and a 10-
megabyte hard drive are standard. A 20-mega-
byte drive is also available. When equipped
with the standard rechargeable battery, the sys-
tem will operate for a little over three hours
with heavy use of the hard drive. An optional
high-power battcr>' raises extended operation to
five hours or more between charges.

The 78-key keyboard has an embedded nu-
meric keypad and 10 function keys. The feel of
the keyboard is good, but some touch typists
may find the key spacing a hair too tight.

' The Z-183 comes with parallel and serial
ports and outputs for an external RGB or com-
posite monitor. An internal 300/1200 bps mo-
dem is optional, and floating-point arithmetic
fans will find an internal socket that accepts an
Intel 8087 math coprocessor.

The Z-183 has a sturdy, integrated carrying
handle, but it's rather heavy for a laptop,
weighing over 15 pounds. This almost classifies
the machine as 'luggable" rather than portable.
Arnold Schwarzenegger may be able to toss the
Z-183 around like a toothpick all day, but most
users will start wishing for a bionic arm after 15
minutes.

The number-crunching power of the Z-183
may fall short of other laptops, too, but the ex-
cellence of its display and the convenience of
an internal hard drive will lip the scale for
many prospective purchasers. If you don't need
a hard drive, consider the Zenith 181, a lighter,
dual-microfloppy version of the Z-183.

Arlan Levitan, Contributing Editor and author of the monthly
colunnn "Levitations," is also the hardware analyst for Con-
sumer Guides' Computer Buyer's Guides. Q

36 COMPUTE

— Tv&Hproductsl

Adventures in Atlantis

Electronic Arts has released Return lo
Atlantis, a graphic adventure game for
the Amiga 500, 1000, and 2000 that al-
lows players to assume the role of an
Agent for "The Foundation" and com-
plete 14 missions.

Each mission lakes you on adven-
tures in exotic international locales
such as the Baltic, the Caribbean, and
the South Pacific. There are over
140,000 locations to explore and hun-
dreds of opportunities for conversation
with various characters. Players are aided
in their quests by several tools available
on the flying ship Viceroy, including a
robot named RUF (Remote Underwater
Friend) and ART, a shipboard com-
puter. Throughout the game you en-
counter characters who seek profit or
political advantage for themselves.

One interesting feature oi Return
to Atlantis is the player profile you com-
plete at the beginning of each game.
This profile is woven into the gameplay,
adding a peronal touch. You can use
either a mouse or joystick, and you have
access to onscreen help at any time.

The game requires 5 1 2K of memory
and has a suggested retail price of $49.95.

Electronic Arts, 1820 Gateway Dr.,
San Mateo, CA 94404
Circle Reader Service Number 200.

Sharp Cuts Laptop Prices

Sharp Electronics has cut the list price
of its battery-powered IBM PC-compat-
ible PC-4501 laptop computer by $300,
dropping the retail price to $995.

The PC-4501 features a supertwist
LCD screen, a 3'/2-inch disk drive, a
Centronics parallel printer port, and
256K of memory, which can be ex-
panded to 640K. Users can also add a
second disk drive, a 300/1 200 baud
modem, a CRT adapter, an EPROM
card, an extended memory card to
boost RAM 10 1.6MB, and an external
5V4-inch disk drive.

Other portable computers in the
Sharp line include the PC-4502 and the

The Sharp PC-4501 is now available for
under $1,000,

PC-4521. The PC-4502 features two
3y>inch disk drives. 640K R.AM, and a
backlit screen. It retails for $1,795. The
PC-4521 has a 20MB hard drive and
lists for $2,995.

Sharp Electronics, Sharp Plaza,
Mahwah, NJ 07430
Circle Reader Service Number 201.

Buick Disk Drive

Buick Motor Division has released the
1988 version of Dimension, a market-
ing and information program for people
interested in Buick automobiles. The
program includes two disks with graph-
ics and information about Buick's 1988
models. The disk package is available
free of charge for owners of IBM PC,
XT, AT, or Macintosh computers with
a minimum of 512K.

The program contains basic data
on each Buick model, including stand-
ard equipment and optional packages,
specifications, comparisons to competi-
tive automobiles, and a spreadsheet
purchase plan. The graphics portion
provides views of the cars' interiors and
exteriors, as well as engineering features
such as brake systems, suspensions, and
engines.

Dimension can also calculate esti-
mated payments based on the manufac-

turer's suggested retail price and on
user-specified information about desired
down payment and length of contract.

Free disks are available by writing
to Buick and specifying the computer
on which the disk will be used.

Buick Distribution Center, c/o Ad-
eem, 6845 DixSt., Detroit, Ml 48209
Circle Reader Service Number 202.

Computerized Comics

A partnership between Infocom and
Tom Snyder Productions has produced
INFOCOMICS, comic book adven-
tures on computer software. The story
lines allow the user to follow any char-
acter's path, so different viewpoints of
the story can be told. Viewers can
change characters when another charac-
ter has been encountered.

Only four of the computer's keys
are needed lo view the stor>^ while each
page turns automatically. Viewers use
the space bar and the arrow keys to fast
forward, rewind, or stop the action, and
the return/enter key to change character
paths.

The initial titles available include
Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubberman, a
spoof of 1930s pulp science fiction;
Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand
Screams, a superhero tale of three
aliens; and Zorkguest: Assauh on
Egret h Castle, a fantasy adventure
about a caravan of travelers controlled
by an evil magician.

All three titles are available for the
Apple II series, the Commodore
64/128, and IBM PCs and compatibles
for a suggested retail price of $ 12 each.

Infocom, 125 Cambridge Park Dr.,
Cambridge, MA 02140
Circle Reader Service Number 203.

Fantasyi Survival, and War
from SSI

Strategic Simulations has recently re-
leased four new game titles including
the sequel to Questron.

Questron f! takes over where the
original game left off The player's char-

M A V 19 8 8 37

rv&H products!

acter is in possession of the Evil Book
of Magic that was stolen from Man tor
the crazed magician. The book cannot
be destroyed, so the player must send
his character back in time to ensure that
the book is never created. The player
has encounters with creatures that must
be fought offvvith weapons and spells.

The game is available for the Com-
modore 64/128 for a suggested retail
price of $39.95. The Apple II and IBM
versions retail for S44.95. while the
Atari ST and Amiga versions sell for
$49.95.

.Another sequel is also available
from SSI. The Eternal Dagger is the fol-
low-up to 77?^ Wizard's Crown. Players
must search for magical weapons and
then must take a journey while solving
puzzles. The object of the game is to
find the Eternal Dagger. The game is
available for the Apple II series, the
Atari 8-bit, and the Commodore 64/128
for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

In Roadwar Europe, the player as-
sumes the role of the leader of a road
gang equipped with cars, trucks, and
motorcycles in post-doomsday Europe.
The player's mission is to locate and
disarm five hidden bombs, find the en-
emy's headquarters, and destroy the
terrorist leaders while battling mutants,
cannibals, and rival road gangs. The
Apple II 64/128, and IBM versions sell
for $39.95. The Atari ST and Amiga
versions retail for S44.95.

Players can reenact the Civil War
Battle of Shiloh in SSFs Shiloh: Grant's
Trial in the West. There are three levels
of combat to choose from, and, during
solitaire play, the computer can direct
the North, the South, or both sides. The
game is available for the Apple II series,
the Atari 8-bit the Commodore 64/128.
and the IBM PC and compatibles for a
suggested retail price of $39.95.

Strategic Simulations, 1046 N.
Rengstorff.4ve„ Mountain Vie\\\ C.\
94043
Circle Reader Service Number 204.

Computer Space Saver

LinTek Computer Accessories has in-
troduced the System Dropkick, a holder
that mounts a PC system unit vertically
so it can easily fit under a desk or work-
station. The System Dropkick adjusts
from 3'/2 to 7 inches in height, and from
1 6 to 22 inches in width.

The product is designed to free as
much desk space as possible while

38 COMPUTEi

keeping the disk drives close at hand.
Made of welded steel, the Drop-
kick has a light beige electrostatic
finish.

The System Dropkick mounts the CPU
vertically under the workstation.

The suggested retail price is $89.95.

LinTek Computer Accessories. 426
North Park NE, Grand Rapids, MI
49505
Circle Reader Service Number 205.

Robot Battles

Microdeal has recently released Slay-
gon for the Amiga and the Atari ST.
The Slaygon is a sophisticated military
robot that cannot be destroyed by con-
ventional means.

Players must help the government
destroy the Cybordynamics Laborator\'
facility where a toxic virus has been de-
veloped to control the world. If the ro-
bot can disable their computer, the
world will be saved. The Slaygon must
bypass security robots and move
through {\\t miles of hallways and 500
rooms and then advance through five
security levels.

The game is made more difficult

by the fact that the robot has a limited
energy supply. .An information panel al-
lows the player to view the energy level
indicator, a directional indicator, a
map, and a three-dimensional front view.

The suggested retail price is $39.95.

Microdeal 576 S, Telegraph,, Pan-
tiac. MI 48053
Circle Reader Service Number 206.

Word Power

Matchups has announced the release of
Version 2.1 of Tyler, a word game simi-
lar to the Scrabble crossword game. Us-
ers can customize the game with their
choice of board size and layout, and the
number and value of pieces. The game
features a 200.000 word vocabular>' and
will help plavers w^hen needed.

rv/t^r is available for the IBM PC
and compatibles w^ith at least 192K of
memor>' and the Macintosh with 256K.
The full vocabularv- requires 5 1 2K. The
IBM version also includes Jotto and
Hangman games, A manual and key-
board template also come with the
package. The game carries a suggested
retail price of $50.

Matchups, 16D OakRd., Medford,
MA 02155
Circle Reader Service Number 207.

Making Sales

First Phase has introduced a software
program designed to increase produc-
tivity for sales professionals and man-
agers. Daily Routine helps users make
better use of their time by organizing
their days.

The program features a daily agen-
da of follow-up activities, customer his-
ton* files, call reports, and quotation
summary reports on one input screen.
Another input screen allows users to en-
ter expense and mileage reports. The
program also contains a name and ad-
dress file that can be integrated with a
memo feature. Users can create mailing
labels based on city, company, or a
user-defined file code.

The menu-driven program features
screen help and a 60-page manual. Daily
Routine uses less than 256K and is
available for IBM PCs and compatibles
in both the 3 '/2-inch and S'A-inch for-
mats. Suggested retail price is $ 1 75.

First Phase. PO. Box 4504,
Greensboro, NC 27404
Circle Reader Service Number 208, El

COMPUTE! .^

— — speajtc

OS/2 Blues for

the PC World;

New Drive — No

Faster— for the

64; Hypertext

on Apple lis;

Another Amiga

Fat Agnes Chip;

LaserWriter II

Family Debuts

at MacExpo;

512 Colors at

Once in New ST

Paint Program;

and Terrific

Hints & Tips

PC owners are always ir>'ing to
squeeze more power from
their machines. We install
ramdisks, buy speedup boards,
add hard disks, and — a I least
sotne of us — think of liiile else
in our spare lime. Unfortu-
nately, most people overlook
an inexpensive, easy-to-insiall
option that supercharges your
PC by fundamentally altering
the way you Interact with it.

The option, if you haven't
guessed already, is a mouse.
The mouse made a late start
with the PC family, but its vir-
tues are becoming universally
recognized. More PC^s now-
come bundled with a mouse,
and more suppoaing software
is released even' day. In fact,
the sophisticated new PC
graphics environments such as
GEM and Windows are crip-
pled without a mouse.

The ditTerencc between
using mouse and nonmouse
interfaces, in software prod-
ucts which suppon both, is re-
markable, Microsoft's Word
for example, is one of the most
powerful word processors
available in keyboard-driven
form. With the mouse, howev-
er, il enters a new dimension,
allowing you to write and edit
at warp speeds.

Before you buy a mouse,
there are a few things to con-
sider. First, you'll have to
choose between a two- or
three-button mouse. The

standard is two buttons, but
three buttons can be useful.

.•Another decision to make
is the type of mouse-computer
connection you1t need. Mice
come in two configurations:
serial and bus. The serial
mouse connects to one of your
PC's free serial ports. Since
DOS versions through 3,2 only
support two serial ports, find-
ing one free isn't always easy.
For those who don't have a
free pon, there's the bus
mouse. This package comes
with a card to install in one of
the computer's empty slots.

The last consideration is
to make sure your mouse's soft-
ware is Microsoft-compatible.
Microsoft was an early advo-
cate of the mouse for PCs and
its device driver is the stand-
ard. Most mouse software wiil
have a driver that emulates
Microsoft's, but check before
vou buv.

PC Virus

Just about everyone in the PC
community has heard of 7m-
jans, the seemingly normal
utility programs that reformat
a hard disk when your back is
turned. Now there arc rumors
of a new kind of destructive
program called a virus.

Computer viruses came to
life in Commodore's Amiga,
with the first ones reported
se\ eral months ago. Viruses
are distinguished (if that's the
right word) by their incubation
period. They insinuate them-
selves into an operating sys-
tem, and after a certain
inier\'al. do something. The
something depends on how
malicious the author is. The
early .Amiga viruses were fairly
benign organisms. They sim-
ply locked themselves into the
operating system, and after a
certain number of reboots, a
message appeared on the
screen saying that something
wonderful was about to happen.

The PC virus is rumored

to be more destructive. Early
reports from Lehigh University
say that after incubation, the PC
virus reformats cver>'ihing in
sight — hard disks and floppies.

A call to Don Watkins,
SYSOP on CompuServe's
IBM NET, provided some
information and a little per-
spective. To Don's knowledge,
no viruses have appeared on
the IBM forums of Compu-
Serve. "Every program is thor-
oughly tested and analyzed
before it's made public," he re-
pons, ''and we have an audit
trail that links each upload to
an individual through his or
her MasterCard or Visa ac-
count," In more than five
years, Don has found only one
destructive program uploaded
to CompuSer\T, and that was
easily detected during testing.

In addition to his duties at
CompuServe. Don runs his
own PC BBS, and hasn't expe-
rienced any problems to date
with Trojans or viruses there,
either. "I think the virus scare
has been exaggerated in the PC
community," he concludes.
"Every two years or so, PC us-
ers get frightened about some-
thing, but we're more likely to
damage our systems accidenily
ourselves than to encounter a
virus or a Trojan."

CGA Emulation

The Hercules Graphics Adapt-
er and its compatibles are
probably the most common
graphics cards found in the
nearly ten million PCs current-
ly on desktops. The card pro-
vides cr>'stal-clear text and
super-high-resolution
720 X 348 graphics at a low
cost. The only problem with
the Hercules card is that IBM
has never recognized it as a
standard. .As a result, neither
BASICAnorGW-BASIC
graphics commands support it.
BASIC expects a CGA card for
its graphics, as do most games.
If you like the Hercules

MAY 1968 39

specific

card's high-resolution mono-
chrome display, but occasion-
ally need CGA compatibility,
Athena Digital has the answer
Athena BfOSh a small video
card and supporting software
package thai allows your Her-
cules Graphics Adapter or
compatible to emu (ate a CGA
card's color graphics in black
and white. It has the added ad-
vantage of speeding up your
system's normal video output
even when it's not being used
for emulation.

Installation takes about
ten minutes. Youll need to
find a vacant slot for the card.
Any short slol will do; the
Athena even works in the oth-
erwise-useless eighth slot on
many XT compatibles. The
software portion ofAihena
BIOS is installed as a device
driver, so vou'll need to add it
10 your CONFIG.SYS nie.

Once in place, Athena
BIOS is completely transparent.
To invoke CG,A emulation, you
simply type a special command
at the DOS prompt and the pro-
gram springs into action. It also
has a soft-boot facility thai lets
you load and run many copy-
protected packages.

No emulator udll run
everything, but Athena BIOS
comes close, and it increases the
speed of your normal video out-
put in the bargain. Athena BIOS
is available for S60 from .Athena
Digital, 2351 College Station
Rd., #567, Athens, Georgia
30605,(404)354-4522.

OS/2 Blues

It seems that every time you
open a computer magazine
these days you see pages and
pages about IBM's new PS/2
line and its new operating sys-
tem, OS/2. When the com-
puter and business press isn't
singing the praises of OS/2, it's
talking about IVindows. Micro-
soft's graphic interface. Unfor-
tunately for owners of plain-
vanilla PCs, XTs, or compat-
ibles, these exciting new
operating systems are out of
reach. They require an AT-class
machine running an Intel 80286
microprocessor — or do they?

Microsoft has just re-
leased Mach 20. a $500 speed-
up board — easily installed in
your PC — that the company
guarantees will run a version

of the new OS/2 when the op-
erating system is finally re-
leased. With the installed base
of PCs and XTs being more
than four times that of 286
machines, Microsoft evidently
wants to enlarge Its OS/2 mar-
ket, Mach 20 may be a link
with OS/2 for the rest of us.

As a side note, Mach 20 is
really Personal Computer Sup-
port Group's 8MHz 286
Brcakthru turbo board with
some minor enhancements
and a special Microsoft option
added. The option? You may
have guessed it already — a
mouse port, Microsoft's Mach
20 will unquestionably cure
your OS/2 blues, at least for
the time being. It's available
from Microsoft Corporation,
16011 NE 36th Way Box
97017, Redmond, Washington
98073, (800) 426-9400,

— Clifton Karnes

Aside from its styling, the old
1 54 1 disk drive has never real-
ly been upgraded. Nor has it
t>een successfully emulated,
either. Finally, though, it's
about to be replaced.

The Commodore 1541-2,
due to ship soon, is styled
along the lines of the Commo-
dore 1 28's 1 57 1 drive, but be-
yond the cosmetics, it contains
several significant features.
First, unlike most drives that
have tried to emulate the 1541,
it's fully compatible with the
1 54 1 . Secondly, the 1 54rs in-
famous bugs, panicularly the
savc-with-replace bug, have
been fixed. Finally, its external
power supply will keep the
unit cooler.

Unfortunately nothing
has been done to speed things
up. The 1541-2, like the 1541,
plods along its merry way, de-
pending on so ft ware -driven
turbo drivers to make its speed
palatable. Fortunately, turbo
drivers are showing up on
most commercial software
now, and there are various car-
tridges and magazine pro-
grams available to improve the
drive's speed as well.

Meanwhile, sales of the
I28D are outstripping those of
the 128. Schools, in particular,
like the 128D's enclosed design.
Other buyers include those
tired of scemg the wires that
connect components together.

When Amiga's 64

With all the enhancements of-
fered to the 64 by both Com-
modore and third-party
developers, upgrading from
the 64 to a more powerful
computer is less attractive now
than it was two years ago.

For those who do decide
to upgrade, however, there's
the problem of what to do with
the older machine. Selling it is
a possibility of course, but the
64's software base (which
probably cost a small fortune)
goes with it. Keeping it is an-
other option, but most people
have limited space. The third
possibility may be the most at-
tractive— emulation.

The problem is, emula-
tion is difficult. The .^miga
will perform like an MS-DOS
machine, but only with expen-
sive hardware additions (Side-
car for the 1000, the Bridge
card for the 2000). A few years
ago, a Vancouver company
sold an .Apple II hardware em-
ulator for the 64, but it cost too
much to be completely saleable.

Softw'are emulation is
worse. Amiga owners have al-
ready seen one software emu-
lator, the Transformer, fall on
its face. Now, though there arc
a scries of products that turn
the Amiga into a Commodore
64, the .A.miga community is
naturally skeptical

The best Commodore 64
emulator is a Commodore 64.
Anything else will probably be
second-best, but for the record,
here's what's available:

• Go-64!, Software Insight Sys-

tems, 16E International Drive,
East Granbv, Connecticut
06026: (203) 653-4589;
$69.95 — ^a full emulation
package.

• The 64 Hmiilaior, Ready Soft,
P.O. Box 1222, Lcwiston, New
York 14092; (416) 731-4175;
$59,95 with complete inter-
face— a full emulation package,

•Access-64, Dynamic Software
Technologies. 9420 Reseda
Blvd., Suite 410, Northridge,
CaHfornia 91324; (818)
360-2995; S79.95— makes use
of 1541 or 1571 drives to
transfer files from 64/128 to
Amiga text programs; allows
1541/1572 to be used as an
.Amiga storage drive (only).

• Disk-2'Disk, Central Coast
Software, 268 Bowie Drive,
Los Osos. California 93402;
(805) 528-4906; $49.95— al-
lows transfer of text files from
64/128 programs to Amiga
programs; converts PET
ASCII to Amiga ASCII and
vice versa.

•C-IV>vr,C Ltd., 723 East
Skinner. W^ichita. Kansas
67211; (316) 267-6321:
$49.95— a cable that lets an
Amiga use a 1 702 monitor
(eliminates the need to buy an
Amiga monitor).

RTC Multi-Link

RTC Multi-Link {RTC Multi-
Link Inc., 110 Riviera Drive,
Unit 10, Unionville, Ontario,
Canada L3R 5M I ) is a com-
bined hardware/software
networking system for Com-
modore 64 and 128 comput-
ers. Designed for educational
use, it allows as many as 40
machines to be linked through
a hard disk drive that's includ-
ed in the package. The price
tag is high, about $3,000 for a
ten-station system, but it in-
cludes a 20-megabyte hard
drive, individual station mod-
ules, the Central Control Board,
and the softwaa\ Its usefulness
in the classroom should sub-
stantially- offset the cost.

The idea is that the teach-
er will run the control unit, a
64 or 1 28 with the controlling
software. Each additional com-
puter can run either as a termi-
nal or as a stand-alone unit, a
selection made by the control
software. Terminal mode al-

40 COMPUTE!

COMPUTE! .,.

speaftc

lows Students and teacher to
communicate with each other,
again subject lo the desires of
the teacher/controllen The
Control Board can restrict ac-
cess between any two indiv id-
ual terminals, or it can open
things up to a fully interactive
environment.

For schools with a num-
ber of 64 or 128 machines al-
ready on hand, M tilt i- Link
should provide a fruitful learn-
ing environment.

GEOS Contest

Berkeley Softworks, COM-
PUTE! *s Gazette, and Quan-
tum Computer Services are
sponsoring a GEOS program-
ming contest with cash and
prizes valued at over $25,000.
Prizes will be awarded for the
best desk accessories and ap-
plications in categories of en-
tenainment, education,
productivity, and open
programming.

For more information, see
the March issue of COM-
PUTEI's Gazette QT call Berke-
ley Softworks at (415) 644-0883.

New Games

The 64's huge installed base
continues to attract developers
of game, creativity, and enter-
tainment software. Electronic
Ans has translated Instant
Music to the 64/ 1 28 from the
Amiga and Apple IlGS, a must
for would-be composers who
have no time to learn music
notation. Electronic Arts'
Bard's Tale III should be re-
leased by the time you read
this, yet another improvement
in this extremely popular fan-
tasy role-playing series. Skate
or Die revs up violent skate-
boarding, while Strike Elcet
(from Lucasfilm Games) gives
you control over 20 types of
modern ships.

Meanwhile, Accolade has
released Test Drive, which puts
you on a mountain road be-
hind the wheel of a Porsche, a
Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Lo-
tus, or (for the miserly) a Cor-
vette. Fourth and Inches is a
menu-driven (a la HardBall!),
graphics-based football simula-
tion, while Mini -Putt is surely
the first computerized minia-
ture golf simulation.

.And Infocom has taken
Zork out of the realm of the
pure text adventure. Beyvnd
Zork gives your character a
number of roie-pla>ing style sta-
tistics, and it provides an on-
screen map as well. A long-
awaited graphics improvement
to an already successfiil series of
products, Beyond Zork should
introduce Infocom's brand of
interactive fiction to an entirely
new group of players. It's avail-
able for the 128 only.

— Neil Randall

HyperCard, Apple's hypertext

program for the Macintosh,
has been getting enough press
and attention to make even
presidential candidates jeal-
ous. Hypertext is the computer
buzzword of the year.

.And all this hasn*t made
Apple II computer owners
happy. They want a hypertext
application, too, so they can
create the same kind of soft-
ware that's being generated by
the megabytes for the Macin-
tosh. Unfortunately. Apple has
been playing dumb when it
comes to hypertext on the II. If
anything appears, it would un-
doubtedly find a home only on
the .Apple IIgs. the company's
darling of ihe line.

Though a lies version of
HyperCard may one day sur-
face, .Apple 11 owners don't
really have to wait. There's al-
ready a hypertext program for
all 128K .Apple computers that
serves up many of Hyper-
Card's vaunted features.

Tutor-Tech is its name.
Developed and published by
Techware. a small company in

Florida, Tutor-Tech is an au-
thoring system designed pri-
marily for teachers. The
program's Teacher/Student
package, with one disk for the
teacher, another for students
{the tatter can be copied up to
50 times), costs $195.

Tutor-Tech users can cre-
ate sequences of screens, which
are then linked through but-
tons. Paint program-like tools
make it easy to draw simple
shapes and lines, fill with one
of 16 patterns, 16 colors, and
place four kinds of buttons.
Graphics can be imported
from MousePaint or Print
Shop, a boon to art phobics.

You may be tempted to
match Tutor-Tech against Hy-
perCard, but the comparison
doesn't always work. Tutor-
Tech^ for instance, does not of-
fer a programming language
(like HyperCards HyperTalk),
a failing that's apparent when
you find out that clicking on
buttons can only change pages
(as the screens are called).

But Tutor-Tech can link
one card to any other card or
to other lessons (a term used
for collections of pages) on the
disk. Both qualities are shared
with HyperCard. In fact, many
of the things HyperCard can
do, Tutor-Tech can duplicate
on an Apple lie, lie, or IlGS.

For more information
about Tutor-Tech, coniaci
TechWarcatPO. Boxl085,
Altamone Springs. Honda
32715. 305-834-3431 (after
April 16:407-695-9000).

What's GEOS?

Berkeley Softworks, best
known for its prominent posi-
tion in the Commodore 64
community and now looking
for new worlds lo conquer, is
bringing its 6'£'6'5" operating
system and applications to the
Apple II.

.A disk operating system
for the 64 officially sanctioned
by Commodore. (j£OS pre-
sents a Macintosh-like graph-
ics interface, complete with
icons, pull-down menus, win-
dows, and mouse control.
Berkeley's (/^O^* applications
include a word processor, a
paint program, a desktop pub-
lishing package, and various
utilities, all of which helped ex-
tend the Commodore 64's life

long past anyone's expectations.

.All this is scheduled to
come to the Apple IL GEOS,
geo Write. geoPaint. geoSpelL
utilities, and desk accessories
are included in the first pack-
age, which retails for $ 1 29.
With a mouse, Apple GEOS usr
ers can point and click their way
through computer applications
just like Macintosh owners.

Other desktop-style inter-
faces have been tried on the
Apple 11 notably Catalyst and
MouseDesk, though none have
caught on. Apple GEOS, how-
ever, will have an almost in-
stant library' of applications
available, since translating the
Commodore versions lakes
only weeks, not months.

Berkeley plans on market-
ing GEOS to the established
base of more than 4 million
.Apple He and lie owners. Ap-
ple IIgs users have the icon-
based Finder, a color version
of the Macintosh graphic inter-
face, and so would find little
use for GEOS. According to
Brian Dougherty, president of
Berkeley. GEOS will find its
first market in education,
where Apples dominate.
Berkeley's geoNei, a network
linking Commodore 64s and
Apples to an IBM PC acting as
a file server, should be a strong
argument for bringing GEOS
and its applications into the
classroom. Educators may see
the advantage in having every
student — no matter what com-
puter they're working with —
using similar-looking word
processors, for instance.

The Bottom Line

Apple Computer's bottom line
keeps getting blacker and
blacker.

In late January, Apple re-
ported its first-ever billion dol-
lar quarter. Net sales for the
first quaner of the 1 988 fiscal
vear (October 1 to December
31, 1987) were $1,042 billion.
That's 57 percent more than
the numbers for the same
quaner the previous yean

The company's net in-
come (from all sources, not just
sales) was even better, a record
$121 billion, up 108 percent
over last year's first quarter.

.According to a statement

continued on page } I
MAY 1988 41

The Automatic Shoebox

A Conversation with Andrew Tobias

Andrew Tobias has buitt a career — and a
reputation — by writing clearly, and often
wittily, about money. His books and arti-
cles fall roughly into two categories: those
such as Fire and Ice (about Revion head
Charles Revson) and The Invisible &ani<-
ers (about the insurance industry), which
deal, often investigatorily, with industries
and issues; and those such as the well-
known The Only Investment Guide You'll
Ever Need and its recently published
cousin, The Only OTHER Investment
Guide You'll Ever Need, which offer
financial advice.
Recently Tobias has gathered nearly
as much fame for software as for prose.
Managing Your Money by Andrew Tobias,
published by MECA (see the following
Buyer's Guide for further details), is num-
bered among the more successful person-
al financial management packages on the
software market.
We asked Andrew Tobias to talk gen-
erally about the elements that make
financial management software worth-
while for the average consumer.

COMPUTE! Is there a single overrid-
ing question that determines whether or
not a financial management package
will be effective for a consumer?

Tobias: Number one is: Will n be
practical?

A program that jusl balances your
checkbook is fine, but you really don't
need it. Ifs not practical, any more than
it has turned out to be practical to have
a computer in your kitchen to help you
figure out amounts and recipes. It's a
clever idea, but if s probably not
worthwhile.

In order for a financial management
program to be practical, it probabh^ ought
to be integrated. If you go to the trouble
of entering your various transactions, ^^ill
you gel other benefits than just being abie
to balance your checkbook?

COMPUTE! What other benefits are
important?

Tobias: You ought to be able to get re-
ports for doing your taxes. In fact, you
ought to be able to keep track of how
you stand for your budget, your tax esti-
mation, and so on.

Automatically, once youVe en-
tered the data, it should have an impact
on your taxes — it should have an im-
pact on some sort of net worth or bal-
ance sheet statement so that, in essence,
you can press a key and print out some
kind of balance sheet for your banker. It
should have an impact on cash forecast-

Andrew Tobias, financial writer and
adviser, and guiding force behind
Managing Your Money,

ing, so you can spot months ahead
when you may be running short of cash
based on your current budget,

COMPUTE! Are there other elements
consumers should consider when look-
ing at the various financial manage-
ment software packages on the market?

Tobias: The software should be reason-
ably friendly, so it's not too hard to
learn. More important for this kind of
software is the ease of data en 117, If
you're using the software ever>' day or
cver>' week, for years, all the little con-
veniences that may seem like bells and
whistles at first really become the sort
of even'day bread and butter that deter-
mine whether or not the program is efTi-
cienl or whether if s a real drag. And
you really don't find this out until
you've used the program for a while,

COMPUTE! Let's talk about that a
while. How long does it last? There's a
school of thought that argues that com-
puterizing your finances really doesn V
save any time.

Tobias: Look: You have to pay your
bills, and you have to do your taxes, or
prepare materials so your accountant
can do the work. This already takes a
long time.

Although it docs take time to learn
to use a financial management package,
once you've learned it, at the very least,
it takes no longer to pay your bills by

typing the amounts into the keyboard.
But if you don't pay your bills by com-
puter, you can certainly save time at the
end of the year in organizing your shoe-
box, in essence.

Given the time it takes to learn a
program, let's assume that on balance
you don't save any lime at all when
managing your finances. It already
takes a fair amount of time to pay your
bills. With a computer there should be,
at the very least, no net increase in the
amount of time it takes.

COMPUTE! How do you personally go

about managing your finances?

Tobias: I have two pieces of equipment:

my expensive computer and next to it
my 1 5-ccnt manilla folder. When I re-
ceive bills, confirmation slips from my
broker, insurance policies, receipts, and
all that stuff, 1 throw them in the folder.
Every so often 1 power up the computer
and clean out the folder, 1 find it satisfy-
ing, so 1 do it quite often.

COMPUTE! But you don 7 have to,

Tobias: No. Really, you could probably
do it twice a month.

COMPUTE! You think that, idtimate-
ly, the computer, even if used only as a
sort of automatic shoebox, does save the
home user some time when managing
the budget?

Tobias: I think so. Not the first month
or two. But once they really get going, I
think they will save time.

And even if they don't, there are
advantages.

COMPUTE! Such as?

Tobias: First, it happens to be a little
more fun. Second, far more important,
you're in control of your finances. At
any given time you can see where you
stand. The computer and software give
you a reason and a structure for making
a budget and a plan. [Financial writer]
Vcnita Van Caspel has said, ''Most pec^
pie retire with nothing, not because they
plan to fail, but because they fail to plan."
Having a structure like this makes
it fun and gives you a reason to look at
your net worth evcr> so often and see
how you're doing, and it gives you a
look at your budget. It puts you in con-
trol of your finances and gives you a
much better chance of being able to
spot problems and organize your life so
it doesn't just happen to you. It lets you
have some say in what kind of future
you have.

—Keith Ferrell H

COMPUTE

I s

\uide

Personal Finance Software

" ' Where s the money gone? A common question for most of us, one that

sometimes doesn 7 have an answer If you have a persona! computer;

: ' though, you can get answers to your financial-management questions

and get a handle on your money^ No matter what your financial

situation— from pauper to prince — you can find a software package listed

in this buyer's guide that 'sjust right for you.

Andrew Tobias'
Financial Calculator

MECA

IBM PC and compatibles

S44.95

Based on the financial planner Managing Your Money,
this program can be used to make decisions regard-
ing home finances. Categories include tax planning,
retirement planning, college planning, rental-property
analysis, investment analysis, cash-flow analysis,
mortgage refinancing, buy/rent/lease decisions, infla-
tor/def later, internal rate of return, IRA/Keogh plans,
present and future values, loans and annuities, bond
yields, and compound interest. The new tax laws for
1987 and 1988 are incorporated into the program, An
online calculator and a depreciation calculator are
available.

Andrew Tobias' Financial Calculator, taken
from the popular program Managing Your
Money, offers help In making home
finance decisions.

BankMate

Practical Software

IBM PC or PS/2 compatible

256K

$29.95

Checks, deposits, and credit card purchases can be
entered into this program through screens designed
to look like checks and deposit slips. It can handle up
to three bank accounts, and repetitive checks and de-
posits can be defined for faster entry This personal
finance program supports up to 100 categones for
transactions: 50 of the categones are predefined or
can be customized. BankMate cm be used to bal-
ance the checkbook, prepare tax returns, or create
graphs of expenditures for a 12-month period. The
program includes a pop-up calculator and 30 days of
free telephone support.

BDL.Estate

BDL Homeware

IBM PC
S69.95

Finances as well as important papers can be tracked
with this program. BDLEstate'is designed to help or-
ganize assets, debts, papers, job data, bequests, final
requests, and other important notes in case of death.
Reports include a net-worth worksheet.

Bottom Line

The Midwest Software

Apple II. Commodore 64/128, IBM PC

$35.00

With this ledger program, users can define up to 99
account titles for their budget A journal disk can hold
up to 2000 entries, and 40 disks can be linked to-
gether. Home, school, or business users can credit or
debit any account and track the flow of money by
day, week, month, quarter, or year. Messages may

Caroline D. Hanlon

be added to the bottom of the reports, and reports
for individual accounts or the whole ledger can be
printed.

Business Systems

Timeworks
Commodore 64
S49.95 each

For small and medium-sized businesses, these
menu-driven programs can be used to create and
print accounting reports. Each program can be inter-
faced with other programs in the series for an inte-
grated accounting reports package. All include
password protection for security. /Vailable programs
are Inventory Management Sales Analysis Manage-
ment, Accounts Receivable Management and Invoic-
ing. Accounts Payable Management and Checkwriting,
Payroll Management, and General Ledger.

Check Tracker

Chipmunk
Commdore 64/128
S24.95

This program helps home and small-business users
keep track of activity in their bank accounts—checks,
deposits, savings, electronic transfers, and transac-
tions through automatic teller machines. The pro-
gram can support double-entry records, justify the
accounts at the end of the month, print hard copies,
and store each month's activity on disk.

CheckMaster II

Info- N apse Micro Services
IBM PC and compatibles
$42.35

CheckMaster II is a check-printing system for home
users. It allows users to create their own check for-
mats and phnt from one to 200 checks at a time-
Handwhtten checks, automatic teller machine with-
drawals, fees, and direct deposits can also be entered
into the system. >

MAY 1968

feuyer's.,

z= guide

Clan Practical Accountant

Sir-Tech Software
Apple II. IBM PC
$79.95

The 0\zn Practical Accountant czri be used by people
with little Of no accounting experience to provide a
complete picture ot their financial status. The pro-
gram helps develop a financial statement for eacti
month and can be used to trace tax deductions and
income. Nine charts of accounts are included, or the
accounts can be customized. The program can handle
up to 128 accounts, and ail account balances can be
carried forward to the next year. Reports can be for-
matted for individual needs and displayed on 40- or
80-column screens or phnted out. The Apple II version
supports up to 2400 transactions per disk, while the
IBM version handles over 4000 transactions. Up to 20
liquid assets can be stored on one data disk. A pass-
word option is provided to protect the records. Four
guidebooks are included, and a telephone support hot-
line is available five days a week.

College Financial Planner

Randle, Coray. & Associates

IBM PC

$95.00

A college-financing plan can be constructed for each
child by using this program. Data for each child is
stored on a disk so it may be updated each year as
inflation, costs, and other circumstances change.
Costs such as tuition, room, board, books, and trans-
portation can be itemized, and the program automati-
cally adjusts the costs for inflation. The program
provides three plans for saving the needed capital. A
manual and forms for gathering data are included in
the package.

Dac-Easy Light

Dae Software

IBM PC or compatible

DOS 2.0 or later. 80-column printer, 256K

$69.95

Designed lor both home and office use, this account-
ing package can be used to keep track of credits and
debits, create financial statements, and print checks.
It offers a chart of accounts for the home or office for
entering deposits, withdrawals, customers, and ven-
dors. The program can be used to generate up-to-
the-minute financial statements and monthly balance
sheets. Checks, invoices, or mailing labels can be
printed with the program. A calculator automatically
computes ail the totals.

DivorceTax

Research Press

BM PC and compatibles

Lotus 1-2-3 or compatible spreadsheet

S65.00

This template is designed to help structure a divorce

settlement so both parties can save on taxes. It takes

into account issues such as alimony, child support,

property settlements, dependents, and child care.

The program must be used with a spreadsheet.

Dollars and Sense

Monogram

Apple H, IBM PC and compatibles, Macintosh

128K (Apple), 256K and DOS 2.1 (IBM)

$1 1 9.95 (Apple), SI 49.95 (Mac), SI 79.95 (IBM)

Home users can create budgets with up to 120 ac-
counts, print cfiecks, pay bills, perform automatic

44 COMPUTE!

transactions, and view their overall financial condition
with this software package. Five what-if scenarios
allow the user to experiment with different liability
options, and the outcome can be displayed in graph
form— in color if the monitor supports color graph-
ics. A portfolio manager helps keep track of stocks,
and using Monogram's Moneylink/Moneyline^Gft-
ware, the invester can access online services. With
Forecasf (included in the IBM version only), the user
can estimate federal income taxes and plan tax strat-
egies for up to five years. Tlie program contains two
sets of predefined starting accounts and has unlimit-
ed account capability. Double-entry accounting func-
tions are computed automatically. Reports can be
displayed on the screen or printed. In the IBM ver-
sion, data can be exported to Lotus 1-2-3. Onscreen
help is provided.

DivorceTax is a Lotus i-2-3 template
specifically lor tax planning prior to a
divorce settlement

Ea$y Loan$

R^R Software
Amiga
256K
S39.95

Small-business and home users can keep track of
loan payments and create amortization schedules
with this program. Amortization schedules can be
customized with partial payments, balloon payments,
negative amortizations, and variable interest rates and
payments. The program can calculate missing vari-
ables such as principal, length of time, or interest
rate. The schedules and loan tables can be viewed on
the screen or printed out.

EasyForm W-4

Valley Management Consuttants
IBM PC or compatible
Lotus 1-2-3, 256K
S49.00

This Lotus /-^' J template consists of four separate
programs. IWand W4A help users complete the
new forms for withholding allowances. Update calcu-
lates the minimum amount of withholding and ad-
justs the allowances to equal the amount to be
withheld, fsf/mafe helps users estimate their income
taxes for the next year, Annual updates are available
for $19.

EasyTax

Valley Management Consultants

IBM PC

Lotus 1 -2-3, 3MK

S89.00

EasyTax is a template that can be used to prepare
Federal income tax forms 1040 and 1040'ES and
schedules A. B. C. D. E. G, R. SE, W. 2106. 2119,
2210. 2441, 3903, 4562, and 6251. Online instruc-
tions and help notes provide assistance in filling out
the forms displayed on the screen and then printing
them out. Calculations are performed by the pro-
gram, and the results are automatically transferred to
the appropriate forms. Tax tables and rate schedules
are built in, and the analyst feature compares an indi-
vidual s deductions and credits to the government
guidelines. A three-year planner is included. Updates
are available each year for S30.

Economic Investor

ECON Investment Software

IBM PC

$399.00

Economic investor uses econometrics to forecast
stock prices. The user inputs recent values for seven
economic variables, and the program can calculate
the returns on 1200 different stocks plus the proba-
bilities of those returns actually occurring, (Another
version of the program computes the returns for 500
stocks; it costs S249.)

Equalizer 1 .5

The Charles Schwab & Co.
IBM PC and compatibles
Modem
$199.00

Investors can use their modem and this program to
keep track of activity in their investment portfolios.
The program can be used to access Schwab's central
computers. Standard & Poor's Marketscope, and the
Dow Jones News/Retrieval database. From the
Schwab computers, the investor can check on com-
missions, gains and losses, dividend receipts, and
updates to the portfolio. Investors can also use the
program to initiate buy or sell orders, review securi-
ties prices, and keep up-to-date on investing infor-
mation. Telescan's /4/?a/yzer software is included with
Version 1.5.

Everything You Need to Do
Your Taxes with Lotus 1-2-3

Woodbury Software
(BMPC
Lotus 1-2-3
$39.95

With this tax-planning and preparation package, users
can compare 1 -6 alternate tax strategies or evaluate
taxes for 1-6 years. The program helps determine
the tax effects of financial decisions and aids in sort-
ing tax records. Major IRS forms such as the 1040
and Schedules A. B, C, D, G, SE, and W can be com-
pleted. Help screens appear throughout the menu-
driven program.

EZTax-Plan, Personal Edition

EZ \Nare

IBM PC, PCjr, and compatibles; Macintosh

Commercial spreadsheet

$95.00

This taX'preparation package is designed to be used
with Lotus 1'2'3, Muitiplan, Excel, or Symptiony. It

buyer's. ,

gutae

helps individuals project future taxes, compare differ-
ent tax strategies, plan for retirement, and complete
tax form 1040 and schedules A, D, R, and SE. The
audit-alert feature also signals if planned deductions
may lead to an IRS audit. EZTax-Plan takes into ac-
count charitable contributions, self-employment tax-
es, credits, itemized deductions, and assets such as
bonds, stocks, and real estate. Updates incorporate
any changes in tax laws that may occur. The package
includes a coupon for one free update. This program
can be used with EZTax-Prep 1040, also from EZ
V\tare.

EZTax-Prep 1040

EZ Ware

Apple II; IBM PC, PCjr, and compatibles; Macintosh

Commercial spreadsheet. Printer optional.

$99.95

EZTax-Prep Wf? includes templates for completing
26 IRS forms and schedules: 1040, 1040ES, 2106.
2119, 2210. 2441. 3800, 3903, 4952. 4562, 4684.
4797, 4972, 6251, 6252. 8582, 8598. 8615, and
Schedules A-F. R, and SE. Computations are per-
formed by the program and the results are automati-
cally applied to the appropriate form. Forms can be
printed in an IRS-approved format on 1040 stock or
transparent overlays using standard or laser printers.
The program can also be used to create what-if sce-
narios and plan future tax strategies. The audit-alert
feature points out deductions that could possibly trig-
ger an IRS audit, and data can be exported to EZ
Ware's EZTax-Plan for more in-depth tax planning.
EXTax-Prep 1040 is designed to be used with Lotus
1-2-3, Multiplan, Excel, or Symphony 1.2. Annual up-
dates which include al! tax lav^ changes are available
for a fee {Macintosh— $99.95; other systems-
Si 29.95).

Federal Tax Forms

Sky Computer Resources

Apple l\. Apple III

128K. Appleworks. III-EZ Pisces for Apple III

$39,95

A template for use with Applemrks, this program
helps users complete IRS forms 1040. 2106. 2441.
3903, 4562. and Schedules A-F and SE. The pro-
gram consists of three sections (instructions, a trans-
fer area, and the tax form); two calculator templates
for computing depreciation, amortization, and taxes;
and a manual. Information can be entered into cells,
and the calculations are performed automatically. The
forms and schedules can be printed in IRS-approved
format; the 1040 data must be printed onto an actual
1040 form. Additional forms and schedules are avail-
able for $5 each.

Financial Decisions Planner

TaxCalc Software
IBM PC and compatibles
Spreadsheet program
$100.00

A template for use with Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony, and
other spreadsheet programs, the Financial Decisions
Planner cBf) help users caiculate and evaluate various
situations before making a financial decision. It con-
tains 1 5 functions, including future value of an invest-
ment, minimum investment for withdrawal, nominal
interest rate, adjusted-rate mortgage payments, fu-
ture value of regular deposits, continuous interest,
term of a loan, last payment on a loan, principal on a
loan, and others.

Financial Navigator

MoneyCare

IBM PC and compatibles

192K

$99.00

A double-entry bookkeeping system for personal and
small business use, this program can handle up to
250 accounts and 1 ,000 payers. The report function
can generate up to 40 reports such as balance sheets
and personal income statements. The program can
be used as a checkbook manager and to print
checks. Totals are automatically calculated. Data
from the personal version can be transferred to the
professional version.

Forecast

Monogram

Apple II. Macintosh

$59.95 (Apple), $69,95 (Mac)

Users can create five different scenarios to compare
tax strategies or evaluate what-if situations. This tax
planning software incorporates the new tax law
changes, but retains tax formulas from previous
years. It can be used to view tax projections for four
years and to keep track of deductibles through 1991.
A worksheet can display the user's tax status, includ-
ing estimated taxes. Reports can be printed, and files
can be transferred to programs that read SYLKtWes.
Upgrades are available.

Fundwatch 4.0

Hamilton Software

IBM PC

128K, DOS 2.0. graphics card

$29.95

Designed for the home investor, this program can
compute the current and periodic yields, project an-
nual total returns, evaluate trends over a specified pe-
riod, and caicufate the total returns on a portfolio. It
can print out the results in text or graph format to the
screen or printer. The program does not require a
modem or access to an online service.

Future-Tax

Taxald Software
Commodore 64. Plus/4
S39.95

The new tax lav/s of the Tax Reform Act are incorpo-
rated into this program to help users calculate in-
come taxes for 1988 and 1989 and plan future tax
strategies. The menu-driven program includes the
new tax rates and automatically figures standard
deductions, exemptions, limitations on IRAs, surtax,
deductions for the eldedy. and itemized-deduction
i imitations. Data can also be output to the screen or
printer.

Home Accountant

Arrays

Apple II, Atari, Atari ST. Commodore 64, IBM PC

and compatibles, Macintosh

$39.95 [Apple, Atari. 64}, $49.95 {ST). $59.95 (Mac),

$69.95 {IBM PC)

Up to 200 budget categories can be defined with this
program for home financial managers. The program
can keep track of multiple bank accounts and credit
cards, print checks and reports, record automatic
transactions, and flag items for use in tax prepara-
tion. The IBM PC and Apple II versions can be used
with Tax Advantage, also from An-ays.

Home Finance Manager

CASC

$49.95

This home financial-management program can store
over 200 transactions per month in 60 financial-
management items. Data can be displayed in graph
form or printed out in reports such as the annua!
report.

Home Management II

MVP Software

IBM PC or compatible

256K

$59.95

An enhanced version of the original Home Manage-
ment I, this program contains five modules for home
financial planning and managment. Personal Budget
Planning (PBP) can help users plan their household
budgets while Budget helps users keep track of in-
come and check writing. Stock Broker is for analyz-
ing possible investments, and Quik Loan is a loan
amortization program. Typewriter, the word proces-
sor, can be used for small applications such as ad-
dressing envelopes and filling out forms.

Money Mentor for the Amiga provides up
to 200 budget categories for any 12-month
period.

HomeWorks

Keep It Simple Software

IBM PC

$40.00

Home buyers can use this program to calculate loan
amortization schedules or determine if a loan is af-
fordable. Loan amount, interest rate, payments per
year, payoff term, first payment date, and balloon
date can be specified with the loan calculator. Income
and expense information are used to decide if a loan
would be too large. The autopilot option takes into
account FN MA requirements for down payments and
mortgage insurance.

In-House Accountant

Migent
Macintosh
51 2K
SI 99.00

Small-business or home users can keep track of
budgets, payables, and receivables with this account-
ing program designed for the Macintosh. Transac-
tions are alf performed in one window, and related
items are immediately updated when a transaction
occurs. The data can be searched, edited, displayed
in graph form, or printed out in reports such as cus-
tomer statements, aging, invoices, balance sheets,

MAY 1968 45

er's ,

guide

and income statements. A page preview can be used
to show the report exactly as it will print, and the pro-
gram offers a selection of type styles and sizes.
There are 18 financial formulas to calculate data. Data
can be transferred to spreadsheets and other applica-
tions. The program is not copy-protected.

Investograph Plus, Basic

Liberty Research
IBM PC or compatible
S99.00

The basic version of this investment tracking pro-
gram can be used to chart price fluctuations and
moving averages, analyze cycles and momentum,
and provide daily or weekly portfolio values. A what-if
option allows the user to experiment with various
portfolio mixes. The program is available on 3Vz-inch
or 5y4-inch disks.

among the forms. Vanous tax strategies can be en-
tered to compare liabilities. Help screens contain ex-
cerpts from the book. Individuals and professional
tax preparers can use the program, and the results
can be printed in IRS-approved format or on original
IRS forms. Owners of the 1987 edition can buy the
1988 edition for $39.95 with proof of purchase.

Loan Ranger

Pride Software Development
IBM PC and compatibles
$99.95

Menu screens help users enter their data in this am-
ortization program. The accompanying manual helps
explain many loan terms and practices such as bal-
loon loans, actuarial method vs. U.S. Rules method,
Truth in Lending Law, and The Rule of 78s.

Qu/cfren, a check- writing and
record-keeping program, uses
screens tt\at look and work (ike
a checkbook.

Isgur Portfolio System

Batteries Included

Atari ST, IBM PC and compatibles, Macintosh
51 2K (ST, Mac), DOS 2.0 (IBM PC), modem
$199.95 (ST, Mac). S245.95 (IBM PC)
Lee isgur designed this portfolio manager to help in-
vesters keep track of securities information and man-
age their investments— from stocks and bonds to
commodities and margins. Current status of each
holding in a portfolio can be displayed in graph form
or printed out. The telecommunications program can
be used with a modem to provide up-to-date stock
prices and information. Each sale is recorded and can
be printed out for tax purposes. Functions can be de-
fined and stored, and the program has macro capa-
bilities. The built-in calendar helps keep track of long-
and short-term investments. Amount of data main-
tained is limited oniy by the amount of disk storage
capacity. The program accepts either keyboard or
mouse input.

J. K. Lasser's Your Income
Tax 1988

Simon and Schuster
IBM PC and compatibtes
256K. DOS 2.1 , color or monochrome monitor
S69.95

Software is connbined with the J. K. Lasser Tax Insti-
tute's tax guide to help users complete their tax re-
turns based on the new tax laws. The interview
feature helps users select the correct forms, and the
questions can be modified for individual needs. There
Is an onscreen calculator to use with either the work-
sheets or actual forms, and data can be transferred

MaclnTax

Softview
Macintosh
512K
S1 19

IRS forms are displayed on the screen for the user to
fill in the appropriate lines. The program automatical-
ly performs the calculations and transfers data
among the forms, There are 13 worksheets to aid in
computing taxes, and itemization windows help break
down any amount into a detailed listing. Instructions
tor each line in the forms can be displayed on the
screen, and the IRS instruction book is included.
Completed forms can be printed using a dot-matrix
or laser printer, Mac/^rax includes forms 1040.
1040A. 1040E2. 1040ES. 2106, 2119, 2210, 2441,
3903. 4562, 4562A, 4684. 4797. 4868. 4952. 6251,
6252. 8283, 8582, 8598, 8615, and schedules 1,
A-F, R. and SE. The program operates with MulW-
Finder. Annual updates are available for S55. State
tax programs to supplement Ma€lnJMZ.r% available
for California and New York for S65 each; state up-
dates cost S35.

Managing Your Money 4.0

MECA

IBM PC and compatibles

256K, DOS2.0orlater

$219.98

\fersion 4,0 of Managing Your Money \s a financial
planning package made up of nine integrated pro-
grams covering major aspects of home financial
planning such as checkbook management, budgets,
tax planning, insurance and retirement planning, and
portfolio management. It incorporates the new tax-
law changes and contains a full-featured word pro-
cessor with mail-merge capabilities. The program can
be used to set up budgets, track net worth, plan fi-
nances for up to five years, keep records of insurance
and investments, and print checks, invoices, mailing
labels, reports, graphs, and tax forms. Memos can

be stored on the electronic calendar, and financial
data can be exported to Lotus 1-2-3.

Money Counts 4.0

Pa r son s Te c h nology
IBM PC or compatible

Hard disit or two floppy disk drives, DOS 2.0, 192K
$16.00

Up to 999 accounts and 24,000 transactions per year
can be handled by this money management soft-
ware. This program can be used to monitor cash,
credit cards, and checking and saving accounts, plus
it can help balance a checkbook. A financial calculator
can determine interest rates, loan payments, and am-
ortization schedules while the pop-up calculator can
be used for onscreen computations. Four financial
statements and three inquiry reports can be generat-
ed and phnted, and data can be displayed in graph
format. The program is menu-driven and not copy-
protected. Onscreen help is provided.

Money Mentor

Sedona Software

Amiga

S95.95

Home financiers create, edit, or delete up to 200 bud-
get categories— 100 income labels, and 100 expense
labels— for any 12-month period with this money-
management program. In the transaction system, us-
ers can manage up to 30 accounts including
checking, cash, savings, and credit cards. Transfers
within accounts and transactions split between cate-
gories can be tracked. The reporting system provides
graphic reports that illustrate actual vs. budgeted
amounts. Users can project their financial picture
using the more than 50 reports available.

MoneyMate

Practical Software

IBM PC or PS/2 compatible

256K

S99.95

A system for organizing personal finances, Mon^-
Ma/a allows up to 200 transaction categories; 100 of
the categories are predefined or can be modified.
This financial-management program can handle up to
ten bank accounts and 25 credit cards. Checks, de-
posits, credit-card charges, returns, and cash pur-
chases can be entered. The program can be used to
project cash flow, compare expenses to budgets, bal-
ance a checkbook or charge-card statement, track
unpaid bills, calculate loan payments, and print
checks, a net-worth report, and information for tax
returns. Help is provided through onscreen messages
and 90 days of free telephone support. The program
also contains a pop-up calculator and notepad.

MoneyMate

RealWorld
IBM PS/2
Si 69.99

MoneyMate can be used to help organize an individ-
ual's or family's finances. The program can keep track
of up to ten bank accounts. 25 credit cards, and unpaid
bills. Loan repayment schedules, cash-flow projections,
and budgets can also be calculated. Categones of finan-
cial activity are predefined and can be modified. Infor-
mation can be sorted out for tax preparation or
displayed in graphs. F^p-ip windows and graphic user-
prompts provide onscreen help. Output can be sent to
some spreadsheets such as Lotus 1-2-3.

4e COMPUTE!

Buyer's . ,

:= mde

Moneyworks

University Software
App[e II
64K. ProDOS
S39.95

Four subsystems make up this personal-finance
package. Budget helps users develop a budget and
print out monthly and yearly balance sheets and
statements. Filer is a database for organizing check-
ing, savings, money market, IRA, and credit-card ac-
counts as well as investment and stock transactions;
the teiephone and address fist can be used to print
mailing labefs. The user can examine the effects of
interest rates, investments, and inflation with the
Financial subsystem. This feature can also be used to
print loan-amortization schedules, balance the check-
book, or flag taxable items, The memo writer can be
used instead of switching to a word processor. Gen-
eral rather than accounting terms are used, and help
is provided on the screen.

Multi-Program Disk #6

Cardinal Software
CommcxJore 64 <

$19.95

This disk contains five financial and statistical pro-
grams. Financial Calculator cB\cu\z{es interest rates,
principal on a loan, payments, future values, and
mortgage amortizations. Statistics helps determine
mean, variance, deviation, and distributions. Linear,
rth-order, geometric, and exponential regressions
can be calculated with Regression Analysis. Linear
Programming uses the Simplex method to solve lin-
ear programming problems, and the Odds Calculator
uses combinations or permutations to determine odds.

Nimbus

Oxxj

Amiga

$149.00

Small business owners can use this program to man-
age their cash flow. Customer and vendor accounts
are tracked by name rather than number so payment
status, outstanding balances, and P/L statements
can be quickly accessed. When information is en-
tered into accounts payable or receivable, it is auto-
matically updated to the general ledger. The program
uses the single entry method and offers predefined
reports and invoices and an editable chart of ac-
counts. Pop-up mini-menus help the user through
the program, and business terms rather than ac-
counting tei ms are used. Nimbus can also be used to
compile reports for taxes.

PC/TaxCut

Best Programs

IBM PC and compatibles

$75

A QuickTax feature is included in this program to
automatically recalculate tax owed, refund due, cur-
rent tax bracket and taxable income each time a
number changes in the program. This helps users
see how variations will affect the tax return. PQ^ax-
Cof offers context-sensitive, onscreen help for what-
ever topic or calculation the user may be preparing.
Forms can be displayed on the screen before print-
ing, and the 1040 can be pnnted on platn paper with
an IBM or Epson dot-matrix printer. A telephone tax
advisory service is available for registered owners of
PC/TaxCutioi SI per minute with a minimum of 15
minutes. There is no charge for questions concerning

program operation. Updates for previous owners of
PC/TaxCutcostSAS.

Personal Accountant

So ft sync

Apple II. Atari. Commodore 64/128, IBM PC,
Macintosh

48K (Apple, Atari), 128K (IBM PC, Mac)
S34.95 (Atari. 64/128), $49.95 (Apple, IBM. Mac)
This double-entry bookkeeping system is designed
for small businesses and individuals. Data can be en-
tered into five accounts— income, expense, deposit,
loan, and equity— and reports can be pnnted out. The
information can also be used to help prepare tax re-
turns. Amortization tables can be used to calculate
loan costs and future value of deposits such as an
IRA. Names and addresses for each account can be
stored in a database and used to generate mailing
labels and lists.

Tax Preparer is a full-featured tax prepara-
tion program for the Apple II and IBM PC
personal computers.

Personal Portfolio Manager

Abacus

Commodore 64. 128
Modem

S39.95 (64). $59.95(128)

Personal Portfolio Manager \$ a porfolio management
and analysis system that investors can use to man-
age stock portfolios^ obtain quotes and news, and an-
alyze securities. The program can record dividends
and interest, reconcile brokerage accounts, and store
up to 1 ,000 transactions on a disk. The auto-run fea-
ture can automatically log on, update quotes, and log
off using the Warner Computer System, A vahety of
reports can be pnnted using the report generator, A
modem is required for accessing online data. Com-
patible modems include the Commodore 1600,
1650, or 1660; Westndge: and Telelearning and com-
patible modems.

Planner's Choice

Activision

Apple II. Commodore 64. IBM PC and compatibles

$34,95 (64). $39.95 (Apple. IBM)

This Spreadsheet program can be used to develop
and organize home budgets, tax strategies, invest-
ment options, financial reviews, and statistical re-
ports. The program features windowing, three built-m
functions, adjustable column widths. 255 rows, and a
quick-reference guide. The IBM PC and Apple ver-
sions support up to 64 columns, while the Commo-
dore 64 version uses 255 columns.

Quicken

Intuit
Apple II
$49.95

A financial-management program for homes and
small businesses. Quicken helps Apple owners keep
track of paid bills, tax records, and other financial
transactions. It can automatically write and print
checks and update financial statements.

Quicken 2.0

Intuit

IBM PC and PS/2

256K, DOS 2.0 or later

S49.95

\fersion 2 of Quicken contains the same cfieck-wrrting
and financial-management features as the original,
plus has some new capabilities, A bill-minder feature
remmds the user when it is time to pay a bill, and the
program can automatically write recurring checks. Fi-
nancial records can be updated whenever a transaction
occurs. Reports such as income and payroll tax re-
cords, budgets, and income and expense can be gen-
erated and printed out. Version 2 also allows an
unlimited number of bank accounts and transactions.
The package includes a quick-start-and-tips card, man-
ual, sample checks, sample envelopes, and a check
and envelope order form. Disks are available in 3V2- or
5y4-inch format. Free telephone support is provided.

Real Estate Analyzer

HowardSoft

Apple II, IBM PC and compatibles

64K (Apple). 128K (IBM). IBM compatibles require

MS-DOS. GW-BASIC, and 192K

$295.00 (Apple). S350.00 (IBM)

Real estate investors can use this program to calcu-
late the projected cash flow and overall return on
property. It incorporates many tax laws, including
ACRS tables and recapture mles, and it uses several
measures of profitability, such as the financial man-
agement rate of return (FMRR). The program can
automatically determine multiple loan payments, de-
preciation schedules, itemized income and expenses,
after-tax cash flow, and the final return on invest-
ment. Information can be displayed on the screen or
pnnted out. Investment models include trust deeds,
depreciation schedules, expense items, and income
schedules. Telephone support is provided.

Rory Tycoon Portfolio Analyst

Coherent Software Systems
IBM PC or compatible
512K
SI 50.00

An investment-management program. Rory Tycoon
Portfolio Analyst can be used for managing invest-
ment portfolios, historical and realtime charting, and
retrieving quotes. It can handle up to 2,500 invest-
ments and can perform the calculations to determine
net worth, market value, costs, profit/loss, dividend
income, and yield, A summary of each investment
can be generated, including commission costs, mar-
gin value, imputed interest, and annual income pro-
jections. Historical charts of prices and movement
can be shown on the screen or as high-resolution
phntouts. The package contains interfaces to Dow
Jones News/Retneval, CompuServe, and Lotus
Signal. i>

MAY 1988

er's.y

giiide

Securities Ana1ysM28

Free Spirit
Commodore 1 28
S49,95

Stock data can be entered into the program, saved to
disk, and pnnted to a dot-matrix printer Text infor-
mation can be displayed on the 80-column monitor
while charts and graphs are displayed at the same
time on the 40-co[umn monitor. Stock analysis in-
cludes P/E ratios, co-ofticient of variability, beta
factor, and percentage gains. Available charts include
weekly performance, moving average, and accumula-
tion and distribution. Data on the performance of 16
stocks is on the disk, and tfiere is a mini word proces-
sor for keeping notes, Ttie disk is not copy-protected.

Smart Checkbook

Softquest

IBM PC, PCjr, PS/2

128K

SI 00.00

Sm^n Checkbook otieis a variety of features to help
home users manage their personal finances. Checks,
deposits, automatic withdrawals, and other transac-
tions can be entered into the checking account sec-
tion, which accepts an unlimited number of accounts
and can be used to reconcile bank statements. The
checkbook manager allows the user to backup the
files and modify any of the categories or accounts.
Up to 200 categories are available in the budget fea-
ture, and each item can be distributed to up to 15 dif-
ferent accounts. Dates, names, amounts, and other
fields can be searched in individual accounts, or the
accounts can be combined. Budgets, tax information,
personal balance sheets, net worth statements, and
other reports can be pnnted: checks can be printed
by specifying the form number.

Smart Money

Sierra On-line
IBM PC and compatibles
S79.95

Smart Money can be used to control day-to-day ex-
penditures and to plan for the financial future. The
program can help set up a budget, track bills, remind
the user of payment dates, and reconcile credit-card
and checking-account statements. When transactions
are entered, they are automatically updated to the
proper accounts. This program can also be used to
save for major purchases, to decide when to borrow
money, and to plan investments in stocks and !RAs,
Reports such as profit and loss and investment ana-
lyses can be printed for tax records and to show how
the user is doing financially.

Strategist

strategy Software
Commcxlore 128
$29.95

A market-timing program, this software uses an his-
torical quote file and a strategy chosen by the user to
simulate trades and determine the best trade strate-
gy. It uses persistence checks and an exponential
moving average of quotes to test which strategy will
produce the greatest payoff; the operator could then
use this same strategy in actual market trading. The
package includes the mam program, a program to
create the histoncal files, a program which tracks cur-
rent price activity, and several utility programs.

Swiftax

Timeworks
Commodore 64/128
$49.95

Individuals can use this program to help prepare their
yearly tax returns. Smto handles tax forms 1040,
1040A. 2441, and 1040EZ, and schedules A~0, G,
W. and SE. It automatically calculates tax alternatives
such as income averages to show the lowest tax to
pay. Changes can be made to the tax return at a later
date using the taxpayer file. Information can be print-
ed directly on tax forms or onto blank paper. Update
disks with new tax law information and tables can be
obtained each year at an extra cost. The 64 version
operates in 40-column mode; the 128 version, in 80-
column mode.

TaxView, the IBM PC version of the popu-
lar and acclaimed Afac/nTax, is a what-
you-see-is-what-you-get tax prep
package that shows actual forms on the
screen.

Tax Advantage

Arrays

Apple II. IBM PC

S69.95

A tax preparation program for Forms 1040. 2106,

2441 . 4562, and 6251 , and Schedules A-E. G, SE,

and W, Tax Advantage automatically computes the

totals, displays the forms, and prints out the data. It

can handle income averaging, calculate brackets and

liabilities, and provide year-round tax planning. This

program works with with Home Accountant also

from Arrays.

Tax Advantage

Double Eagle Software

Apple II. Atari. Atari ST. Commodore 64/128, IBM
PC and compatibles
S59.95

This federal tax preparation program incorporates the
tax-law changes for the 1987 tax year and phnts out
IRS-acceptabie forms and supporting statements.
IRS-supported forms include Forms 1040, 2106.
2441. 4562. and 6251, and schedules A-F and SE.
The program can also be used for tax planning. Own-
ers of The Tax Advantage Early Bird Edition, which in-
cludes all changes through August 1. 1987. can
purchase the final edition for $15.95. The two edi-
tions are fully compatible; the final edition includes all
tax-law changes through November 1987.

Tax Command Professional

practical Programs

Apple II. Commodore 64/128, iBM PC

128K (Apple). 128K and DOS 2.0 or higher (IBM)

$49.95

In this program, IRS forms appear on the screen as a
series of menus into which the user enters dollar
amounts. A calculator and current tax tables are in-
corporated into the program to automatically calcu-
late the totals. The program can complete Forms
1040. 1040-ES. 2106, 2119, 2441, 3903, and 8615
and Schedules A-F. R, and SE. (The Commodore 64
and 128 versions do not include Form 1040-ES or
Schedule F.J It compares itemized to standard deduc-
tions and provides line-by-line tax information entry,
A summary of the information can be pnnted for per-
sonal records, or the data can be pnnted directly onto
SRS forms. Annual updates are available to registered
users at half phce.

Tax Master

Master Software ' -

Commodore S4
S30

Individuals can use this program to prepare their fed-
eral tax forms 1040 and 4562 and schedules A-F.
The program includes the tax tables and a calculator
function to automatically compute the amounts, Re-
sults can be transferred from one form to another,
and more than one schedule can be completed for
each user. This menu-driven program can store data
for more than one taxpayer, and the information can
be pnnted to the screen or a printer. The package in-
cludes an instruction manual and a coupon for a dis-
count on the 1988 version.

Tax Preparer

HowardSoft

Apple II. IBM PC and compatibles
64K (Apple). 128K (IBM), GW-BASIC with 192K (PC
compatibles)

S250.00 (Apple), S295.00 (IBM)
Tax Preparer m\u6es all the tax law changes through
1990 based on the Tax Reform Act and enables us-
ers to forecast their tax liabilities beyond 1987. The
user enters the data, and the program automatically
performs all calculations relative to the tax year en-
tered. The data is then transferred to over 20 IRS
forms and schedules. Results are checked against
the tax code to make sure limits have not been ex-
ceeded, and the forms, schedules, and worksheets
can be printed in IRS-approved formats. Users can
also create what-if? scenahos to plan future tax strat-
egies. Onscreen instructions are provided along with
a handbook and telephone support.

Tax ZipFiles

Petit Design
Apple II
Appleworks
$19.95

Tax ZipFiles is an AppleWorks \Bm\i\d,\e to use in
completing IRS Form 1040 and Schedules A. C, D.
and E. The tax ledger feature can sort tax deductible
expenses, and the speedmaps and speedpaging fea-
tures aid in using the program.

COMPUTE!

buyer's. /

gitide

TAXAID

Taxaid Software
Commodore 64/128. Plus/4
S44.95

An income tax preparation program written by tax ac-
countants and designed for tiome use. the latest edi-
tion includes all the current changes in the tax laws
for the tax year 1987. M;m/0 helps prepare IRS
Form 1040, Schedules A-E, and Form 2441 (child
care). The menu-driven program calculates automati-
cally with all tax tables built in. An editing feature
allows users to make changes and revisions at any
time. PhntotJt is in IRS-approved format.

TaxEase

Park Technologies

IBM PC and compatibles

Spreadsheet program such as Lotus 1-2-3 and at

least 256K memory

S69.95

TaxEase helps users complete both federal and state
tax forms, automatically computing the taxes and
phnting the results on IRS-approved forms. Values
can then be transferred among the forms, Vfersions
are available for 18 states— AZ, CA, CO. GA, IL. IN,
MD, MA, Ml, MN, MS, NC. f^J. NY. OH. OK, PA, VA.
and Wl— and Washington D.C. and the Virgin Is-
lands. A version containing only the federal tax forms
is also available. Updates are available for S34.95.

Taxmaster

Island Computer Services
Apple II, IBM PC. Macintosh
Appleworks, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, or Works
S50.00

A template for use with Appleworks, Lotus 1-2-3,
Excel, and Works, this program can help users com-
plete IRS form 1040 and schedules A~E, R, SE.
2106, 2991. 2441. 3903. 4562, 6251. 8582. 8606,
and 8615. Data is entered directly into the spread-
sheet cells. The program performs the calculations
and can print the forms in an IRS-approved format.
The tax planner can be used to estimate 1988 taxes
and plan financial investments: it includes the tax law
changes for 1988. Taxmaster 2\so contains a tem-
plate for the new W-4 form,

Taxpertise Preparer

Marnoble Software

MS-DOS or PC-DOS machines •• ;

Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony

$49,95

Taxpertise uses a fill-in-the-blanks format so the
screens look like the actual tax form. Completed
forms can be pnnted onto a tax form, on blank paper
for use with transparancies, or in an IRS-approved
format. This program helps users complete the fol-
lov^ing tax forms: 1040. 1040A, 1040EX. 104GES,
1040X, 1116. 2106, 2119. 2210, 221 OF. 2441,
3468, 3800. 3903, 3903F, 4562. 4684, 4797. 4868.
5695, 6251. 8598, 8606. and 8615. and Schedules
A-F, R, and SE. State forms can also be purchased
for $20.00 for these states: CA. GA, IL. MD. NJ. NY,
OH, Pk, and VA. It's also available for Washington
D.C. Disks are available in SVi- or 3'/!-inch formats.

TaxView Planner

SoftView

Macintosh, IBM PC and compatibles

Requires t[4actnTax or TaxView from SoftView

$79-00

This tax planning program includes tax tables for
1987-91 and worksheets to calculate taxes, tax
bracket, child care credit, itemized deductions, capital
loss limitations, taxable social security benefits, and
the maximum IRA deduction. Users can compare up
to five alternate tax strategies against the yearly taxes.
The program can compute withholding allowances
throughout the year and print W-4 and t040£S forms.

^. SVIJVIA IHIRTER'S
^ f PERSONAr FIN.WC K

' ^ sn<n:s

JNViTMElSrrMANMiER

Your Personal Investment Manager tracks,
analyzes, and manages investment trans-
actions, portfolios, taxes, and retirement
investments.

TaxView

SoftView

Apple IIgs, IBM PC and compatibles

$119

TaxView he\ps users complete their tax forms or cre-
ate What //?scenanos to determine the best tax plan.
Replicas of 27 major IRS tax forms and schedules
appear on the screen, and. when completed, they can
be pnnted on a dot-matrix or laser printer. Forms and
schedules can be linked together, and data can be
imported from text files. The program checks for er-
rors and any violation of an IRS rule. Instructions for
each line in a form can be called at any time, and
there are 13 worksheets to help in calculations. Vfer-
sions are also available for some states, including
California and New York, for S65. Annual updates to
the federal tax package are S55, and state updates
are $35, The IBM version operates under Microsoft
Windows; a runtime version of that system is includ-
ed on the disk.

Technical Analysis System

Abacus

Commodore 64, 128

Modem

$39.95(64), $59 .95 (128)

TAS IS a charting and analysis package that stock
market investors can use to automatically update a
portfolio through Dow Jones News/Retheval Service
or Warner Computer Service and then draw a variety
of charts and graphs showing the market trends. The

program can track seven moving averages, five vol-
ume indicators, least squares, trading t)and. and
comparison and relative charts. Data can also be en-
tered or edited manually. Up to ten stocks can be
tracked for 300 trading days on one disk. A modem
is required to capture online data, compatible modems
include the Commodore 1600, 1650. or 1660: West-
ridge; and Telelearning and compatible modems The
128 version features macros, an airtomattc log-on, and
quick-draw charts using one to tour windows.

Touch 'n Go

Quantic Corporation
IBM PC and compatibles
$99,00

Business travelers can use this program to help keep
track of their expenses for reimbursement, billing,
and tax deductions. Each expense spreadsheet con-
tains 30 expense lines and covers a seven-day period
Notes can be added to individual expenses, includtng
credit card or payment numbers. A checkbook- like
register helps keep track of advances and payments.
The expense notes are pnnted onto special envelopes
fn which the receipts are kept. The program also prints
two expense reports— one for reimbursement pur-
poses and a personal report for use in preparing tax
returns. A year-end summary of expenses can also be
printed An onscreen, three-month calendar and a
four-function calculator aid the user in entenng the
data. The integrated word processor can be used for
memos, trip reports, letters, and more.

TiirboTax 1988 5.0

ChipSoft
IBM PC
256K
S75-00

TurboTax is a tax preparation, planning, and record-
keeping package. Witti this program, users can com-
plete over 35 IRS forms plus supporting schedules
and worksheets. Online instructions, including a 30-
second manual at the beginning of the program, help
answer questions about the forms, and customer
support is provided by telephone or tnrough the Chip-
Soft bulletin board, A data examiner option can point
out anything left out of a return, and the tax window
feature displays the current lax status throughout the
program. Most of the math caluculations are per-
formed automatically, but a pop-up calculator and note-
pad are also available. The next year's tax laws are
built into the planning mode of the program to facili-
tate tax record-keeping and planning. The data can be
pnnted onto supplied 1040 forms, or the forms can
be printed on IBM- or Epson-compatible dot-matrix
pnnters. There are 26 integrated state-tax packages
available for S40.00 each, A version for professional
tax planners is also available for S295.00.

Your Financial Future

MfchTron

Atari ST

TOS in RAM or ROM

$39.95

This program can be used to estimate future assets,
taking into consideration average yields on invest-
ments, annual savings, and inflation. It can compare
costs involved in leasing and buying and calculate the
balance needed to maintain a retirement income. Invest-
ments and loans can be tracked and the data stored in
a mini-database. A library contains a vanety of reports
on IRAs. Reports such as net worth can be pnnted. >

MAY 1968 49

ntidc

Publishers of Personal Financial Software

for more information about the personal financial management software listed in the Buyer's Guide, contact the
publishers listed below.

Arrays

6711 \feljean Ave,

yan Nuys. CA 91406

Batteries InciiKled
c/o Electronic Arts
1820 Gateway Dr,
San Mateo. CA 94404

8DL Homeware

2509 N. Campbell Ave., #328

Tucson. AZ 85719

Best Programs
2700 S (Xiincy St.
Arlington. W 22206

Charles Schwab & Co.
101 Montgomery St,
San Francisco. CA 94105

ChipSoft

5045 Shoreham PI.

Suite 100

San Diego. CA 92122

Coherent Software Systems
771 Anthony Rd
Portsmouth. Rl 02871

DAC Software
4801 Spnng Valley Rd.
Building 110B
Dallas. TX 75244

Douhle Eagle Software
2210 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 875
Santa Mono. CA 90403

ECON

One V\torld Trade Center

Suite 7967

New York. MY 10048

EZWare

P.O. Box 620

29 Bala Ave.. Suite 206

Bala Cynwyd, Rft 19004

Hamilton Software
3575 Ruffin Rd.
Suite 103
San Diego. CA 92123

HowardSoft
1224 Prospect SL
Suite 150
La Jolla. CA 92037

Info-Napse Micro Services
2801 Moorgate Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21222

Intuit

540 University Ave.

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Island Computer Services
3501 E. Yactit Dr.
Long Beach, NC 28461

Keep It Simple Software

580 Fifth Ave.

New York. NY 10036

LilKrty Research

1701 Directors Blvd., Suite 550

Austin. TX 78744

Marnoble Software
3730KirbyDr, 12th Floor
Houston, TX 77098

Master Software

6 Hillery Court

Randal Istmvn, MD 21133

MECA

285 Riverside Ave.

Vifestport, CT 06880

MichTron

576 S. Telegraph

Pontiac, Ml 48053

Migent

865 Tahoe Blvd.

P.O. 6062

Incline Village. NV 89450

MoneyCare

253 Martens Ave.

Mountain View. CA 94040

Monogram

8295 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Inglewood, CA 90301

MVP Software

1035 Dallas SE

Grand Rapids. Ml 49507

Ontek Development
#3206. 24 Mabel le Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M9A 4X8

Park Technologies

Box 1317

Clifton Park. NY 12065

Parsons Technology
6925 Surrey Dr, NE
Cedar Rapids, lA 52402

Petit Design
2650 S. Shore Dr.
Milwaukee, Wl 53207

Practical Programs
P.O. Box 93104
Milwaukee, Wl 53203

Practical Software
131 N, Garden Ave.
Clearwater, FL 34615

Pride Software
8221 Glades Rd.
Suite 202
Boca Raton, FL 33434

Quantic

44 Friendly Dr.

Smithtown. NY 11787

Randle, Coray & Associates

Box 1228

Utah State University Post

Office

Logan, UT 84322

RealWorld
282 Loudon Rd,
P.O. Box 2051
Concord. NH 03302-2051

Research Press

4500 West 72nd Terrace

Prairie Village. KS 56208

Sedona Software

11844 Rancho Bernardo Rd,

Suite 20

San Diego, CA 92128

Simon and Schuste' Software
One Gulf & V^stern Piaza
New York, NY 10023

Sir-Tech Software
P.O. Box 245

Chadestown Ogdensburg Mall
Ogdensburg, NY 13669

Sky Computer Resources
P.O. Box 204
Portland. OR 97207

Softquest
P.O. Box 3456
McLean, \A 22103

Softsync

162 Madison Ave,

New York, NY 10016

SoftVtew
4820 Adohr Ln.
Suite F

Camarillo, CA 93010

Strategy Software
909 Carol Lane
Fairbanks. AK 99712

Taxaid Software

606 Second Ave.

Two Harbors. MN 55616

TaxCalc Software
4210 W. Vickery
Ft. V\torth. TX 76107

Timewrks

444 Lake Cook Rd.

Deertteld.lL 60015

University Software
6019 Ogden Forest Dr,
Houston, TX 77088

Valley Management Consultants
3939 Bradford Rd.
Huntingdon \^l!ey, B\ 19006

\AfoDdbury Software
127 White Oak Ln,
CN 1001
Old Bridge, NJ 08857

Your Personal
Financial Planner

Timeworks
Commodore 64. 128
S49.95 (64), 569,95 (128)

Part of ttie Sylvia Porters Personal Finance Series,
this program provides onscreen instructions and an
illustrated manual for both home and individual finan-
cial planning. A financial plan is established by an-
swering a senes of questions on career, children,
savings, and financial objectives. The electronic
checkbook and check-writing features can print
checks, maintain balances for five checking accounts
and ten credit cards, and perform monthly check-
book reconciliations. A budget can be created with up
to 140 separate items. The program can also monitor
personal financial holdings, aid in tax preparation, and
generate financial statements, A report writer can pre-
pare and pnnt a variety of reports, and data can be
shown on screen in graphics. The 128 version oper-
ates in 8Q-column mode.

Your Personal
Investment Manager

Timeworks

Apple II, IBM PC and compatibles

Modem

SI 49 .95

The second volume in the Sylvia Porter Personal Fi-
nance Series, this program can help users track, ana-
lyze, and manage investment transactons, portfolios,
taxes, and retirement investments. It can be used to
let investors know about upcoming deadlines or to
help investors plan their strategies. The package in-
cludes access to online services and offers one hour
of phme time on Dow Jones News/ Retrieval Service.
The IBM version can be interfaced with Lotus 1-2-3
and other major integrated systems.

Your Personal Manager 1 28

Timev/orks
Commodore 1 28
$69.95

Up to 1 5 individual investment portfolios can be or-
ganized, analyzed, and managed with this program,
part of the Sylvia Porter's Personal Finance Sehes.
An investment portfolio can be tracked and updated,
all transactions can be recorded, and over 35 types
of statistical data and financial profiles of individual
companies can be displayed. The program can notify
the user of upcoming investment deadlines and mon-
itor investment taxes, dividend income, and capital
gains. A telecommunications feature allows the user
to get online with electronic databases. The program
also explains drfferent investment strategies, invest-
ment Manager cm be used with other Sylvia Porter
Personal Finance programs. For the 128 in 80-column
mode. [T]

90 COMPUTE!

COMPUTE! .^

specpc

continued from page 4 1

from John Sculley. Apple's
chairman and chief executive
officer, the company's new
products were primarily re-
sponsible for these sales gains.
The Apple I IGS was singled out
as the best contributor from
the Apple II line, while the
Macintosh SE was that com-
puter's best sales performer.

MIDI, Finally

Creating music is one of the
most publicized uses of per-
sonal computers, and one of
the best ways to sell machines.
The Apple IIgs has a sophisti-
cated Ensoniq sound chip, ca-
pable of producing up to 1 5
separate voices simultancous-
Iy» and holds the musical high
ground in the Apple II line.
Yet amateur and professional
musicians have spurned the
Apple IIgs because it doesn't
offer built-in MIDI (Musical
Instrument Digital Interface)
capabilities, prefering comput-
ers like the Atari ST instead.

That's likely to change
with Apple's introduction of a
MIDI interface for the IIgs.
For $99, you get a three-inch
by two-inch box which offers
one MIDI in-plug and one
MIDI out-plug. MIDI is the
music industry^'s standard for
communicating musical infor-
mation digitally and electroni-
cally. That means when you
connect the IIgs and a MIDI-
equipped instrument, such as a
synthesizer or digital guitar, to
Apple's MIDI interface, the
computer can capture each
and eveo' note. With the right
MIDI-compatible software-
such as the soon-to-be-released
Music Studio 2.0 from Activ-
sion — musicians can edit and
manipulate the music using
the IIgs.

Apple is aiming the Macin-
tosh at the professional music
market (the MIDI interlace
works with the Mac as well) and
the IIgs at the home and class-
room arena. Since the IIgs of-
fers color, howeven it wouldn't
be surprising if musicians turn
to that computer instead of the
Macintosh, especially as IlGS
music software becomes more
sophisticated and such extras as
laser printing of scores come to
the machine.

Hot Lead

Desktop publishing may be the
biggest thing to hit the Apple II
market this year. Five pack-
ages have been announced by
various software publishers,
and two have already made it
to market.

First to arrive was Soft-
sync's Personal Newsleiier, a
well-rounded desktop publish-
ing program that works on Ap-
ple lie, lie, and IIgs machines
( 1 28K required). The basic fea-
tures are there, as well as the
ability to import art from such
popular software as j\wsroom,
Prim Shop, and Da::zle Draw.

Timeworks made it in at
second with its Publish It!, a
larger program with more fea-
tures. It includes a built-in
word processor, a graphics
toolbox, and a Macintosh-style
interface. Macros and optional
laser printing (not immediately
available, however) are among
the package's highlights.

Three other programs
haven't made il out yet. They
include Springboard Soft-
ware's Springboard Publisher,
Minikin's Melody, and Berke-
ley Softworks' geoPublisk

Springboard Publisher is
still the most anticipated (and
the longest delayed) desktop
publishing program for the Ap-
ple II. Long promised and full
of features, much of its reputa-
tion rests on Springboard's sol-
id performer, The Newsroom,

Melody is distinctive sim-
ply because it's the only one of
the five which requires an Ap-
ple IIgs. It's also the most ex-
pensive, scheduled to retail at
$195, significantly above the
$59-$ 139 prices of the others.
Melody will include a spelling
checker and a thesaurus, as
well as built-in laser printing
support.

The last to announce was
Berkeley (see "What's
GEOST), which has said its
geoPubhsh. already out for the
Commodore 64, would be the
first application to be translat-
ed to ihe .Apple II. It's expect-
ed to offer such features as
master page styles, multiple-
page designs, multiple col-
umns, automatic text flow,
graphic scaling, page preview,
and PostScript printing to the
Apple LaserWriter,

— Gregg Keizer

Fat Agnes is a video chip in
the Amiga, Ever since the
Amiga 500 apf)cared, we've
heard rumors of replacement
chips that would give the com-
puter even better graphics.
Lately, the rumors have sur-
passed the point of credibility.
Some claim that the new
graphics chip will do all of the
following: directly support one
megabyte of RAM, display an
impressive array of 256 colors,
and eliminate the annoying jit-
ter in the tnieriace modes.

So what will the upcom-
ing Fat .Agnes replacement
really have? The one-megab>le
chip RAM rumor is most like-
ly to come true. The current
Fat Agnes (used in the 500 and
2000) and the regular Agnes
{used in the 1000) can directly
access only 5 1 2K of R.AM.
This means that all graphics
images must be located in the
first 5 1 2K of mcmorv' in order
to be displayed or operated on
by the blitter chip. One mega-
b\le of **chip R.AM" would
allow for faster slide shows and
animations. Of course, users
with 5l2Kor!essofRAM
won't benefti from such a
change, but expansion memo-
ry is becoming more popular.
In fact, many of the latest
graphics programs work best
with (or even demand) at least
one megabyte.

The 256-color rumor is
less likely to bear fruit. It's true
that the Amiga's system soft-
ware can suppon the eight bit-
planes necessary for 256
colors, but the time required to
access the data might be prohib-
itive. Still, it may come eventu-
ally— if not in the current batch
of .Amigas, then the ncxt.

As for the rumor that Fat
.Agnes will cure the inicrlace-

jitter blues, that's probably just

a misunderstanding. The jitter
will be cured, but not by a new
Fat Agnes. Commodore's like-
ly remedy is a deinterlacing
board that plugs into the video
slot of the .Amiga 2000. Amiga
and 1000 owners needn't dis-
pair, though, since Commo-
dore is also said to be working
on a new version of the Denise
chip to solve the problem.

Where does the new Fat
Agnes leave 1000 owners?
Probably out in the cold — the
Fat Agnes is not pin-compatible
with the original Agnes chip.
Graphics-crazy Amiga 500 and
2000 owners, though, will like-
ly keep their ears to the ground
until the chip shows up — prob-
ablv in late summer.

Paint Wars

Not long ago. Electronic Arts'
Deluxe Paint II was the undis-
puted Amiga paint program.
Today, a wave of new contend-
ers has made paint choices less
clear. The First challenger was
Digi-Pamu Newiek's 4096-
color paint program — the first
easy-to-use Hold-.And-Modify
mode paint program. Next into
the battle was Express Paint,
the first 64-color Extra-Half-
Brite mode paint program.

While these two programs
both had strong points, neither
had the rich set of brush tools
that made Deluxe Paint II so
exciting and useful.

Now, three new paint pro-
grams are about to appear on
the market, each w^ith a power-
ful set of tools. .All three will
operate in every .Amiga graph-
ics mode, including Hold-And-
ModifV' (HAM) and Extra-Half-
Brite (EHB), By using the new
paint programs, artists (and
the rest of us) can produce re-
sults that look more realistic.

Photon Paint, from Mt-
croillusions. will be available
soon. This is a very impressive
program, with nearly all of Z>t'-
luxe Paint's tools, as well as
several very impressive new
ones (like mapping an image
onto a sphere, cone, orarbi-
trarv' shape.)

Electronic Arts isn't sit-
ting still. Look for the new De-
luxe Photo Lab, which also
operates in all of the Amiga's
video modes. Although it is a
full-featured paint program,

MAY 1988 51

COMPUTE! .^

Specific

Electronic Ans will probably
pitch it as a tool for modifying
and enhancing digitized or pre-
drawn images lo keep the
product from competing with
Deluxe Pamt IL

Dig!- Paint fl is coming
from NewTek, the undisputed
king of Amiga graphics prod-
ucts. New-Tek says that they'll
introduce eight video products
this year Digi-Paini If will
mesh nicely with the rest. For
instance, youll be able to use
the Digi-Vie\v interface to digi-
tize pictures from within Digi-
Painl IL

To 2002 and Back

For almost two years, if you
had an Amiga and you wanted
a Commodore monitor, the
choice was easy — you bought
the Commodore Amiga 1080
monitor. But if you've checked
the mail orders ads lately, you
may have noticed that the
1080 is a dying breed. The re-
placement? The Commodore
2002 monitor.

Well, believe it or not.
after only a few months the
2002 is also disappearing. The
replacement for the 2002? The
1084, of course.

It all started when Com-
modore realized that they
could save a lot of trouble (not
to mention manufaclunng
costs) if they could sell the
same monitor with their
.\miga, 128, and PC compati-
ble computers. This led to the
repackaging of the 1080 as the
new 2002.

There was one small
hitch, though. The cables that
connect a 2002 to a 128 or PC
are difTcrcnt than the cables
needed to connect the monitor
to an Amiga, So Commodore
sold two different packages
w^ith different cables.
You may have guessed why
the 2002 was doomed. Too
many people came home with
the wrong cables.

Commendably, Commo-
dore acted quickly and intro-
duced vet another monitor —
the 1084. Unlike the 2002, this
one includes all the cables you
need, no matter what Commo-
dore computer you buy. What
will you do with the extra ca-
ble? Perhaps sell it to someone
who got the wrong cable w^ith
their 2002.

52 COMPUTE!

New Virus

.\ newsletter from the ICPUG
user's group in Europe notes a
new Amiga virus that actually
erases any disks that are in-
stalled in your system when an
apocalyptic message appears.
Previous viruses were compar-
atively inert.

There are several ways to
protect yourself from Amiga
viruses. Perhaps the best is to
use the CLl Install command
on a backup copy of any new
disks you get. Then store the
original in a safe place. This
solution works only if the disk
is a normal DOS disk. For
commercial software and other
software with custom boot
tracks, the solution is even eas-
ier— turn the computer off
when vou take out the disk.

GFA BASIC

Michtron is said to be working
on the Amiga version of their
respected GFA BASIC inter-
preter and compiler. GFA
BASIC has become perhaps
the most popular of all pro-
gramming environments on
the ST. Supposedly, the Amiga
version would be in some
measure compatible with the
ST version, facilitating the
transfer of soft ware.

Because the BASIC
shipped with the ST was so
pooriy designed and bug-
infested, Michtron had little
need to promote their BASIC.
But the .Amiga market may be
more difficult to crack.

GFA BASIC won \ be ihe
first third-pany .^miga Basic,
True BASIC (ihc price of
which has recently been re-
duced), SAM BASIC (from the
creator of Simon 's BASIC for
the 64), and the Absoft's
Amiga Basic Compiler (re-
viewed in this issue's Fast
Looks) round out the
competition.

Demo Reel 1

There may be a lot of talk
about the new word proces-
sors, spreadsheets, and destop
publishing programs for the
Amiga, but it's still the demos
that sell the machine. Realiz-

ing this, NewTek, the makers
ofDigi-Paitu. Digi-View. and
the upcoming Digi-F/X, has
come up with a brilliant mar-
keting ploy to sell their products
(and probably some Amigas, as
v^t\\)—DemoReel J.

Demo Reel I is two disks.
Insert one into DFO: and the
other into DFl:. turn on your
one-megabyte .Amiga, and get
ready to be stunned. NewTek
has gone out of their way to
show oft" the Amiga's great
sound and graphics. On Amiga
500s and 2000s, it even turns
off the high-pass audio filter
for better sound (your power
light will dim).

Demo Reel I features
animated H.AM (Hoid-.And-
Modift') graphics, digitized
speech and pictures, and a su-
perb musical track. Dealers
will probably let this thing run
ail day. If you want to take a
copy home, no problem. New-
Tek's packaging makes it clear
to your dealer that customers
are free to copy the demo.

Demo Heel 1 is available
from dealers only.

Seeing Stars

Do you know where your local
planetarium is? If so, you'll
probably love Galileo 2M, a
program from Infinity that
puts the sky on your Amiga.
When you load Galileo 2,0/n
reads your Amiga's clock and
puts the sky riglit up on your
screen. You can then zoom In
on any area, identify stars, see
the traditional constellations,
and label the planets, (The
original version of Galileo was
reviewed in the Januarv 1988
issue of COM BUTE!.} Version
2.0 features more stars, faster
scrolling and refresh, better ac-
curacy, and much more. You
can even save the screen to
disk for use in paint programs.
Infinity also sent us Yale
Bright Star Data Disk — a disk
that works in conjunction with
Galileo 2.0, It contains even
more stars and celestial ob-
jects. This disk should more
than please the serious ama-
teur astronomer,

Galileo 2.0 and Yale
Bright Star Data Disk are
available from Infinity Soft-
ware, 1 144 65th Street Suite C,
Emer^-ville. California 94608;
(415)420-1551.

Products, Prices

If you want to know all about
the latest games, the newest
joysticks, lightpens, and draw-
ing tablets, and the best video
and audio products, check out
the Amiga Buyer's Guide from
COMPUTE! Publications.
Scheduled to appear on the
stands March 25, this volume
wit! be a standard reference
guide in your Amiga librar>'.

— Rhett Anderson

Let's start this column with
some ironic news from IBM:
Officials recently announced
that OS/2 will cut down on
training costs because pro-
grams will conform to its con-
sistent user interface. The
irony is what Michael Maples,
director of software strategy,
oftered as proof for the claim:
'The Mac is evidence to sup-
pon this theory'."

A New System

Well, as other computers get
easier to use. the Macintosh is
getting a little more complex.
Larger (and open) machines,
mega-memories, a variety of
screens and keyboards, and ul-
tra-sophisticated software can
intimidate a new user even on
a Macintosh. It can get pretty
intimidating even for a sea-
soned user.

To go along with all the
hardware advancements, .^p-
ple keeps updating the System
and Finder. This has been a
problem since the first update:

COMPUTE! ,.

Specific

The System and Finder have
their own version numbers
(let's see, is it System 3.2 and
Finder 4. 1 that have to be used
together?), and aUhough they
were distributed free through
dealers and electronic infor-
mation services, users seldom
knew what all the changes were,
or when they were released.

The situation Is improv-
ing. Apple intends to release
system updates every six
months, with full documenta-
tion. Of course, you'll have to
pay for the package if you want
it that way. You can still get
free updates if you don^t want
to shell out the $50.

Apple's also irv'ing to
straighten out the numbering
system. As of this writing, the
current versions are referred to
together as S'v^rmz Tools 5 M. A
step in the right direciion, but
not far enough: The individual
version numbers in 5.0 arc 4.2
(System) and 6.0 (Finder).
We'll see what happens in the
next release, due out in late
spring or early summer. (To
check your Finder version
number, use the About the
Finder command in the Apple
menu when youVe on the
DeskTop; the latest Finder
also reports your System ver-
sion number.)

This current System (and
future ones) contains the Multi-
Finder "operating system." If
you have at least two mega-
bytes of memory, you'll be
able to use it. Basically, Multi-
Finder keeps the DeskTop
around all the lime, and your
applications' windows appear
on top of it. You can have as
many applications open as
memory allows, and then just
juggle around the windows.

Bugs and Noise

Apple has also announced two
hardware updates in the last
few months; one for the Mac II
and one for the SE,

When National Semicon-
ductor released its memory ex-
pansion board for ihe Mac II,
it exposed a bug in the Mac's
ROM, one that kept it from
accessing all the memory on
NuBus cards. Apple fixed the
ROMs and has been using
them since Februar>'. If you
have an old one and run into
memory-addressing problems

with it, your dealer should be
able to arrange a free upgrade
for you-

Complainis about the SFs
noisy fan were finally heeded a
few months ago. and Apple has
been shipping SEs with new,
quieter fans. You can arrange a
fan swap with your Apple dealer
for about $90.

New LaserWriters

Apple didn't surprise anyone
with its announcement of
three new LaserWriters, but it
is nice to have all the details.

At the bottom of the line
is the LaserWriter SC. Its
name hints at its defining fea-
ture: an SCSI port. This is a
one-compuier printer — a per-
sonal printer not meant for a
network. It's a QuickDraw-
based system, and does not
handle PostScript. When Gen-
eral Computer released its
non-PostScript printer last
yean my advice to those who
asked was to avoid it; it
wouldn't be long before they
found they needed PostScript
output. My reservations don't
necessarily apply to Apple's
SC, because it's upgradable. At
$2,799, it's a reasonable entr\'
into quality printing if you're
not using programs that speak
PostScript, such as Illustrator
and PageMaker.

The LaserWriter NT (for
NeTwork) is priced at $4,500.
It is comparable to the discon-
tinued LaserWriter Plus, with
one megabyte each of ROM
and RAM and 35 built-in fonts.

The top of the line, the
NTX (expandable), is the NT
with more memorv' and more
potential: ROM expandable to
2 megabytes, and RAM ex-
pandable to 12 megabytes. It
also has a port for its own hard
drive, where you can store
more fonts. The price is $6,599.

All three LaserWriters use
a new Canon engine that out-
puts blacker blacks (large black
areas have always been a prob-
lem), and all three print at
about eight pages a minute.
The bodies of the printers are
the same; you just swap the
brains. The price of the up-
grades is roughly the price dif-
ference among the models.

Note, though, that .Apple
is going to support the Laser-
Writer Plus for five years. It

was going at ihc show for
$2,999. If there are any left by
the time you read this, they
may be priced at $2,500 or less,
and could be a wise purchase.

Claris Arrives

The San Francisco MacWorld
Expo in January saw the re-
lease of many new or upgraded
products, and the announce-
ments of even more. There were
many noteworthy releases.

First, Claris (the chip off
the old Apple) released Mac-
Faint 2,0 and Mac Write 5.0.
Seeing the new MacPaint is
like meeting an old friend
who's had a makeover by a
fashion magazine: new surface
stuff, but the same old friend
underneath. MacPaint incor-
porates HyperCard's tear-ofT
menus and has a *Magic Eraser
that erases down to what you
previously had in that portion
of the document. It has multi-
ple, resizable windows (finally),
and a few new drawing tools.
In all, though, it's a disap-
pointment. Macintosh graphic
programs have grown so so-
phisticated since the original
MacPaint that this version
needs more to really cut it in
this software category. Up-
grading from the last Mac-
Paint is $25: new. the program
is $ 1 25. It still can't touch
SuperPaint, but with the new
SuperPaint }\xn\x>\Ti% to the
$200 price range, there will be
users who can't touch the new^
SuperPaint.

The new Mac Write is sig-
nificantly enhanced with a
spell checker and multiple on-
screen, editable columns. You
still have to insert a ruler for
eveo' paragraph that has a for-
mal change. The problem with
this method has always been
that you have to insert a ruler
after ever>' changed paragraph,
too, or the changes continue
through the document. Mac-
U W/ralso has an upgrade fee
of $25 and is $ 1 25 to new users.
But. with Microsoft's Write
priced at $ 1 75 and a simple and
generous upgrade path to Word
available in case you get power-
hungry, Mac Write is not neces-
sarily a bar^in.

Write is an elegant subset
of Microsoft Word, and is
highly recommended as the
word processor for beginners

(unless you also need a little
sprcadsheeting and database
capability; then, start uith
Microsoft's Works), The up-
grade fee to Uvrd is only the
price dilTerence between the two
products. How can you lose?
It's like using H 'rite for finee.

In the Winqs

Other new software which
wasn't shipping at the show,
but is worth waiting for:

• PageMaker 3.0 addresses the
three major flaws of the previ-
ous versions. It has automatic
text flow throughout the docu-
ment, automatic text wrap
around graphics, and, best of
ail, style sheets. With style
sheets, first brought to the
Macintosh by Microsoft Word,
you define a combination of
paragraph and character attri-
butes as a specific style. Defin-
ing any section of a document
as a certain style applies the
style's attributes to that sec-
tion. Change the definition of
a style, and all the sections of
the document that belong to
that style change accordingly,

• SuperPaint 2.0 has multiple
object layers, new tools, and,
most interesting of all, an ex-
pandable tool palette, Silicon
Beach, and any interested
third parties, can create tools
that you can then put into the
palette. Its sophisticated trac-
ing function can turn bit-
mapped items into objects
with Bezier curves. There's no
doubt SuperPaint 2.0 will be
worth its new price ($ 1 99), but
there's also little doubt that it
wit! lose fans because of the in-
creased price and complexity.
The upgrade price for regis-
tered owners is $50.

• Neither HordPerject nor
Full Write Professional (Word-
Perfect and Aston-Tate, re-
spectively) was ready for
release, though each word pro-
cessor did a brisk business sell-
ing in prerelease form.

HyperCard Tip

HyperCard au tomati cal ly
opens the Home Card, which
lets you navigate to other
stacks. But the Home Card is
really j ust another slack. >

MAY 1988 53

— eOMPUTEi .,,

specific

If you'd raihcr thai Hyper-
Card open one of your other
stacks automatically, just re-
name that stack Home.

One last tip: If you want to
circumvent the Apple menu's
''slot'' limit of 1 5, or want lo
keep your System down in size,
get Suitcase, from Software
Supply. Suitcase lets >ou get ai
desk accessories and fonts even
when they're not in your Sys-
tem nie (suitcase, $59.95, Soft-
ware Supply, 599 N. Matilda
Ave., Sunnyvale. CA 94086;
408-749-9311).

— Sharon Zardetto Aker

The pictures produced by the
color digitizers for the ST seem
to pale in comparison with
those produced on the Amiga.
The primary' difference seems
to te the number of colors.
The maximum number of col-
ors the ST can produce on the
low-resolution color screen is
1 6 from a palette of 5 1 2. The
Amiga can produce 32 colors
in its normal mode, and a stag-
gering 4096 in Hold and Modi-
fy mode. The human eye
perceives a much higher reso-
lution than is actually present
when there are a large number
of colors.

Fortunately, someone for-
got to tell Boris Tsikanovsky
about the ST's limitations, Tsi-
kanovsky is the author of a
new paint package called Spec-
trum 512. Speanan includes
all the normal drawing tools
you'd expect plus some extras,
Primar\' among the extras is
the ability to use the entire
512-cofor palette ai once. Pic-
lures done in Spectrum look
spectacular and have an appar-

54 COMPUTE!

ent resolution far greater than
320 X 200. Digitized Amiga
HAM pictures, translated to
Atari format, look very good.
Suddenly, the world of color is
wide open lo ST enthusiasts.

Trio Engineering recently
announced Digispec, software
which allows the popular
ComputerEyes digitizer to cap-
ture 5 i 2-color images. These
images can then be modified
with Spectrum 5/2. .Aaists will
no doubt enjoy using Spectrum
IQ draw on the digitized back-
grounds produced with the
Digispec software.

Spectrum 512 (S69.95). The
Catalog. 544 Second St„ San
Francisco, CA 94107: (800)
234-7001

Digispec ($39.85), Trio Engi-
neering, P.O. Box 332,
Swampscoll, MA 01907

For Programmers

Programming languages avail-
able for the ST get better and
better. Personal Pascal from
OSS is available in version 2,
with a GEM-based editor
that's even faster than the orig-
inal. Bill Wilkinson of OSS is
understandably smug about
this. According lo Mr. Wilkin-
son, the method is clever but
not too complicaicd. Commer-
cial developers would do well
to make their products scroll
as fast,

Tackie Box, a monumen-
tal companion product to Per-
sonal Pascai, consists of 900
pages of documentation on
how to use Personal Pascal
with GEM DOS. BIOS.
XBIOS. AES, and VDI. The li-
braries included let you use
simulated C calls with Pascal,
and they provide a host of cus-
tom routines to aid you in
your programming.

Fast BASIC is now avail-
able on disk. The bugs have
been cleaned up, and technical
support is available at a U.S.
phone number. Support is
from Eidersoft. and they seem
to be taking this outstanding
product ver> seriously. The
language is structured and the
command set is the largest on
any language Fve seen. There
are commands for virtually ev-
er\' VDI and AES function.
The editor is icon based and
easy to use, plus it allows you

to edit ten files at once.

Michtron has released
GFA Companion for its well-
received GFA BASIC, The pri-
ma r\' purpose of GFA
Companion is to allow the
n on programmer to generate
pseudo-dialog boxes for ob-
taining input and presenting
output. The product's packaging
claims that it does Dialog Box-
es, but it doesn't. Also, since
you aren't allowed to gi\'e any
program-contiiining code gener-
ated by the product to jKOple
who don't own the GPA Com-
panion (it's copy-protected), the
code is of limited use.

Michtron has also re-
leased a book for intermediate
programmers using 67vl
BASIC The GFA BASIC Book
was written by Frank Os-
trowski, the designer of GFA
BASIC. This book contains a
lot of useful information, al-
though it tends to be highly
technical in spots and repeals a
lot of the GEM information in
the lastest GFA manual.

True BASIC was released
for the ST as well. This lan-
guage shows its mainframe
roots in its ability to include
external libraries (some ver\'
powerful ones arc available
from True Basic) and its abili-
ty lo become a really huge lan-
guage if you use all the
extensions. There's also a
GEM programmer's toolkit so
you can use menus, windows,
alen boxes, and dialog boxes
in your programs. True BASIC
external subroutine calls are
used to generate the GEM
functions, effectively insulat-
ing the user from the nuts and
bolts of programming in GEM.

Personal Pascal {$14.95), Opti-
mized Systems Software, 1221-
B Kent wood .^ve., San Jose,
CA 95129; (408) 446-3451

Tackle Box ($79.95), SRM En-
terprises, P.O. Box 40.
U.S.A.S.A. Colorado 80840;
(415)894-6183

Fast BASIC {%S9.95l Eidersoft
U.S.A., P.O. Box 288, Burgetts-
lown. PA 15021; (412) 947-3739

GFA Companion (S49.95),
Michtron, 576 Telegraph, Pon-
liac, Michigan 48053; (313)
334-5700

True BASIC ($99.95), JruQ
BASIC 39 South Main St.,
Hanover, NH 03755; (603)
643-3882

Speaking 1-2-3

If you did your taxes by hand
this year, you might want to
automate the process next year
with a Lotus I-2-S template.
There are two ST spreadsheets
that can read 1-2-3 files, al-
though one of ihem, I 'IP Pro-
fessional, can only read
version I A files. Though T2-3
version LA has been olTthe
niarkci for several years, there
is still no upgrade that will let
IIP read 1-2-3 version -2 files.
Logisiix, from Progressive Per-
ipherals, does read \'ersion 2
files, but it isn't as easv to use
as 17/^.

There are quite a few pro-
grams and desk accessories
that don't run properiy with
VIP. For example, it locks up
if you load it after booting with
GDOS. Since GDOS is neces-
sar\' if you want to use the
growing number of programs
that feature high-quality print-
ed output, you may find that
you must frequently reboot
your system to use ITP,

VIP Professional ($249,95),
ISD Marketing, 2651 John St.,
Unit 3. Markham Industrial
Park, Markham, Ontario. Can-
ada L3R 6G4; (416) 479-1880

Logistix ($149.98), Progressive
Peripherals. 464 Kalamalh St..
Denver, CO 80204; (303)
825-4144

If you aren't locked into
1-2-3 compatibility (such as it
is), there are some ver\' easy-
to-use and inexpensive spread-
sheets out there: EZX'ALC
version 1,33 from Royal Soft-
ware and .'i-C.4LC Prime from
The Catalog. Both of these fea-
lu re full GEM interfaces and
scroll much faster than the
sluggish VIP. EZC:4LC even al-
lows you 10 attach notes to any
cell, so you can actually docu-
ment expenses/income and
suite your assumptions. It cer-
tainly can't hurt to be more or-
ganized and able to document
everv'thing,

A-Calc Prime ($59.95). The
Catalog

£Z.O!LC ($69.95). Rovai
Software. !748W. 1 8th Suite
D, Eugene. OR. 97402; (503)
683^5361

— David Plotkin E

^^^tips

Q Orphan
Computers

I have a very perplexing prob-
lem. Is there such a thing as a
conversion table or program to
change Commodore 64 pro-
grams so thai I can use them
on my PIus/4? I love my com-
puter; but it's frustrating tr\'ing
to convert programs myself. I
tried to type in one program by
leaving out the POKEs. Ha!
No way. So what's a Plus/4
owner to do?

Doug R. Le^vis

While the Plus/4 had a few In-
teresting features (excellent
color control and an advanced
BASIC), it was not the runaway
success that Commodore had
hoped for. One reason It failed
Is that It lacked the powerful
sprite hardware of the 64 's
VIC-II chip and the great sound
of the SID chip. Also, the pro-
ductivity software Included in
the machine was less powerful
than packages already avail-
able for the 64.

The differences In the
hardware of the two machines
make it difficult to convert pro-
grams written for the 64 to run
on the Pius/4. Games, and
other software that make use
of graphics and sound, are es-
pecially difficult to transfer.

Your problem hints at the
problems that plague ali own-
ers of orphans: the difficulty of
finding software for your com-
puter, the difficulty of finding
friends that can help you with
your computer, and the diffi-
culty of finding books, peri-
pherais, and expansion for
your computer.

Many orphan computers
were born in the explosive pe-
riod that occurred before the
industrywide shakeup in 1983.
The f^attel Aquarius, the A/fSX
computers, the Commodore
Plus/4 and 16, the Texas In-
struments Tl-99/4, the Coleco
Adam, and the Timex Sinclair
are among the dozens of com-
puters that are now called
orphans.

Many people enjoy their
orphans. Some buy a full or-
phan system, with plenty of
software, as their first system.
Needless to say, it's cheaper
to buy a used Coleco Adam
than a used IBM AT You can
learn a lot by using one of
these computers for a while.
And If you write your own pro-
grams, you may never need
another computer.

You may love your Plus/4
now, but someday you may
decide that you'd like to buy a
new computer. If you do, you
may want to ask yourself these
questions:

• What software do I want
to run? (For example, If you run
Lotus 1-2-3 at work, and you
want to run It at home, you 'II
want an IBM-compatible.)

• Do I care about graphics,
sound, and games? (If you do,
find out how much it will cost
to add a joystick to the various
computers. Can you add two
joysticks? f-low much will the
appropriate monitor cost? Will
you need to buy a special
graphics board?)

• Do any of my friends have the
computer I want? (It can be fun
to be a trailblazer, but some-
times It's more practical to be
part of the crowd.)

• Do I see peripherals, books,
and software for the computer
I want advertised in magazines
and journals? (If not, your next
computer may already be a
dying breed.)

Before you buy a com-
puter, read all about it. There
are many excellent computer
magazines available. For in-
stance, COMPUTEI Publica-
tions publishes a magazine
devoted exclusively to each of
the following computers: the
Apple II line, the Atari ST, the
IBM PC and compatibles, and
the Commodore 64 and 128.

Q Another
Language

1 am currently learning 6502
machine language and would
also like to learn to program in
68000 machine language.
Could you tell me some of the
differences between these two
languages?

Craig Bloom

The 6502 and the 68000 are
close cousins. The 6502 is
about two inches long and half
an inch wide, ft has 40 pins.
The 68000 is about four inches
long and one inch wide, ft has
64 pins. The size difference
gives a hint as to the power dif-
ference between the 68000
and the 6502.

There are similarities
among all microprocessors,
and most people find it rela-
tively easy to learn a new as-
sembly language once they
know another. Some advan-
tages that the 68000 has over
the 6502 are

• More and more useful
registers

• More addressing modes

• Multiplication and division
commands

Overall, the 68000 is a
much more powerful chip, and
it is relatively easy to program.

Q Invisible
Drawing

I have been programming in
BASIC on my 1040ST for al-
most a year. In cver\' game
and uiility I ow^n. pictures are
displayed on the screen imme-
diately without being drawn. I
am wondering if this is possi-
ble in ST BASIC.

John Nanney

It may be a good time for you to
move on to a new language.
While virtually every other lan-
guage on the ST allows you to
do this, ST BASIC does not.
Among the languages that make
it easy are GFA BASIC, C,
Modula-2, and Personal Pascal.

To be able to display
screens instantly, you need to
take advantage of a feature
called screen flipping (also
known as double buffering on
some other computers). When
you're using screen flipping,
you draw on one screen while
you're displaying another.
When you Ve finished drawing,
you flip screens. Then you
draw the next screen and flip
again. Screens can be flipped
very quickly. This is how
flicker-free animation Is
achieved on the ST.

There are many ways to
draw images on the screen for
screen flipping. One is to use
the standard VDI or line-A
calls. Another is to copy im-
ages from another area of
memory directly onto the
screen. Yet another is to load
DEGAS or NEOchrome images
onto the screen from disk.

To be able to screen flip,
you need two screens. These
need to be allocated with the
system call Mal!oc{ ). Note that,
on the ST, screen memory
must start on a 256-byte
boundary. You also need to
use two system pointers: one
that sets the physical base of
the screen, and one that sets
the logical base of the screen.
The physical screen is what
you actually see on the moni-
tor. The logical screen is the
area in which you draw. A call
to the SetScreen( ) function will
set these pointers — just pass
the pointer to the logical
screen, the pointer to the phys-
ical screen, and the resolution
(0 for low, 1 for medium, and 2
for high) to the function.

MAY 1988 55

^^mWrip.^

Both Sides
Now

I just bought a Commodore
128 computer and a 1571 disk
drive, rd like to know how I
can write on both sides of my
disks.

I have tried even thing,
but I can use only one side of
each disk. Please let me know
if it is possible to wriie on both
sides of a formatted double-
sided, double-density disk.
Dave King

if you're using a 128 and 1571.
all you need to do to be able to
use both sides of a disk is to
format it as double-sided,
using the l-!EADER command.
After you Ve done this, DOS
will ailooate both sides of the
disk for use.

Another common way to
use both sides of a disk is to
flip the disk over and write on
the seoond side, in effect treat-
ing the disk as two single-sided
disks. In order to do this, you'll
need a device, available In
most computer stores, called a
notcher. Disks used in this way
are called flippies.

We should caution you
about using flippies, however.
With normal disks, the disk
only spins in one direction dur-
ing its lifetime. Dust and con-
taminants tend to get caught in
the disk's protective lining and
stay there. Since flipping a
disk causes it to spin in two di-
rections, depending on which
side is being used, these
harmful particles can be con-
tinually dislodged and spread
over the disk s surface. If
you 're going to be using a disk
often, stay on the safe side
and don't make it a flippy.

QCGAon
Hercules

IntheJanuan 1988 COM-
PUTEL the article "Computer
Monitors: Making the Rtgh!
Choice" mentioned a program
called S/MCG;^ by Chuck
Guzis that emulates CGA
graphics with a Hercules card.

I am ver>' tnteresled in
this program, but Tve been un-

able to locate any information
on it. Can you help?
C Mattingly

.Jifter reading the Januai^' issue
orCOMPUTEL 1 was very
pleased with the article ''Com-
puter Monitors: Making the
Right Choices." Your anicle
came at the right lime for me
because I intend to purchase a
color monitor soon, and I was
not very informed about mon-
itors. The anicle also con-
tained some ven' useful
information on graphics cards.

In the anicle, a program
by Chuck Guzis called Slf^CGA,
which allows a Hercules card
to emulate a CGA card, is
mentioned. Where can I ob-
tain more information on
CGA emulators and about this
program in particular?
B. Caffaro

1 read with great interest the

article in Januan^'s issue,
^'Computer Monitors: Making
the Right Choice." Since I do
mostly word processing on my
unit, I feel that staying with a
monochrome monitor is the
best choice for me.

The problem I am having
is that when f want to use my
system for other things like
recreation, my Hercules card
isn't compatible with the pro-
grams that use IBM's BASICA
graphics. I haven't been able to
fmd Chuck Guzis's program
SIhACGA,

Ray Lahna

Evidently, there Is more inter-
est in this topic than we sus-
pected. We've had dozens of
requests for information on
CGA emulators and on
SIMCGA in particular.

A Hercules CGA emulator
is software (sometimes ac-
companied by hardware) that
produces black-and-white
CGA graphics using a Hercules
card. The emulator convinces
programs that a CGA card is
present In the system and
translates the CGA 's graphics
into the Hercules card's graph-
ics. The translation takes time,
and for this reason an emula-
tor's screen output is often
slower than CGA output. With

many applications, however,
this isn't a problem.

We know of three CGA
emulators for the Hercules
card. The first is SIMCGA,
which is available in both pub-
lic domain and commercial
versions. The public domain
SIMCGA can be obtained from
any PC public domain source:
a bulletin board, a user's
group, or a for-profit distributor
of public domain software.

The commercial version
of SIMCGA is much more pow-
erful than the public domain
one, but it's been difficult to
obtain until recently. Now you
can get the commercial ver-
sion of SIMCGA from Excelsior
Software (RD #4 Box 265,
Sussex, New Jersey 07461,
914-343-5155 or 717-343-
6632) for $39.95.

The newest commercial
version of SIMCGA, 4.2, has a
remarkable update policy: If
you find any software that
SIMCGA fails to work with.
Chuck Guzis, SlMCGA's au-
thor, will custom -code a spe-
cial patch for you at no extra
charge. This means that
SIMCGA can potentially run
anything.

Another emulator, Mode-
MGA, is available from
T.B.S.P. Software (2265
Westwood Blvd., #793, Los
Angeles, California 90064,
213^312-0154) for $79,95. This
emulator was originally devel-
oped to allow Hercules users to
create CGA graphics with
QuickBASIC, but the software
works with many other pro-
grams that require a CGA card.

The last emulator on our
list is Athena BIOS, available
for $60 from Athena Digital
(2351 College Station Rd.,
^567, Athens, Georgia 30605,
404-354^522). Unlike
SIMCGA and Mode-MGA.
Athena BIOS is hardware as
well as software. For more
information on Athena BIOS,
see f^e MS-DOS section in this
issue's "COMPUTE! Specific"
department.

Qln the Numbers
I recently purchased a
copv oCLearning C from
COMPUTE! Books. I would
like to use my Amiga to solve
complex mathematical equa-
tions. Precision is very' impor-
tant to me, and Vm becoming
concerned about the results 1
am getting in Amiga Basic.
Most floating point numbers
are rounded off to six decimal
places. Is there a way to get
higher precision numbers out
of my .Amiga?

R. Allen Mansell

Amiga Basic uses two formats
to store floating point num-
bers— single-precision floating
point, and double-precision
floating point. By default (if
you don 't specify which format
to use), Amiga Basic will use
the single-precision format.
Calculations with single-
precision numbers are much
faster than those using double-
precision numbers, but less
precise. As an example, try
running the following short
program:

Single - SQR(2}: Double* =
SQR(2) : REM the '#' indtcates
double precision PRINT Single
: PRINT Double#

As you can see, the number
stored in the double-precision
floating point format is far more
accurate. A single-precision
number will have up to 7 digits
of precision, while a double-
precision number may have up
to 15 digits of precision.
There are a number of built-in
libraries in the Amiga which
are designed for performing
numeric operations. These li-
braries can be accessed from
assembly language or high-
level languages such as C or
Modula-2. These libraries in-
clude the mathffp.library,
which gives you access to
Motorola Fast Floating point
operations, and the mathieee-
doubbas. library, which per-
forms IEEE double-precision
math. In addition to these,
some compilers support Mo-
torola 68881 IEEE double-
precision math. See the ROM
Kernal Reference Manual for
more information. Q

56 COMPUTE!

REVIEWS

1 1 fast
looks

Go to Europe, Be

a Spy, See the

128D,Talkto

Mr. Spook, Build

Robots, Sneak

Behind Enemy

Lines, Battle

Dreams, Print

Anything, Fly

Fast, and Crunch

Numbers with

This Month's

Review Picks

Mini-Putt

How can something look incredibly
easy, yet be so hard? If you've played
miniature golf, this question may sound
familiar. After playing Mini-Putu a new
miniature golf game from Accolade,
you'll probably be asking it again.

Mini-Putt leaves little to the imagi-
nation. Up to four players can compete.
Before beginning the game, you slop ai
the Pro Shop and enter your name on
the scorecard- Four courses with differ-
ent themes and var\'ing degrees of diffi-
culty are provided.

You control an emotional little
character named "Mini-Putt Pete." The
game screen is divided into four sec-
tions: the playing area, the power and
accuracy window, the overview map,
and the scoreboard. The top portion of
the screen is the playing area, offering a
bird's-eye view of part of the green.
With the joystick, you can scroll the
screen to explore the rest of the green as
you plan your shot. Arrows indicate the
direction of slope, with colors showing
the severity of the breaks. Beware of
animated hazards that await you
throughout your round — especially the
windmill's ball-disappearing trick. Cor-
rectly maneuvering through or avoiding
the hazards is the key to low scores.

Mini-Putt Pete's place is in the
power window. He's framed by a gauge
that displays the power and accuracy
meter, reflecting your aim and the
amount of force you use. Aim by posi-
tioning the cursor. Three precisely
limed firebuiion presses are all that are
needed to begin the ball's journey for
the hole. How can something that looks
so simple be so hard?

Documentation is minimal, but it
does cover the basics of game play. After
awhile you may tire of playing the pro-
vided courses. Neither the manual nor
the game offers a clue to whether more
courses will be available in the future, al-
though they would be appreciated.

Commodore 64/128—529.95
IBM PC— $34,95
Apple IIgs— $44.95

Accolade

20813 Stevens Creek Blvd.

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408)446-5757

Paintworks Gold

It's not surprising that there are two ex-
cellent paint programs already available
for the Apple IlGS. The computer, after
all, can display 4,096 colors in high-
resolution modes that rival such com-
petitors as the Commodore Amiga,
Atari ST, and IBM PS/2 computers.

What's surprising, however, is an-
other IIgs paint program introduction.
Acii vision's Paintworks Gold, sched-
uled for release in March, and seen in a
prepublication form for this Fast Look,
is not simply an upgrade of Paintworks
Pius, but more of a completely new
program.

Similar in look and feel to most
poini-and-click-style paint programs
(ranging from PC Paint Plus on the
IBM to the Macintosh's MacPaint),
Paintworks Gold brings some new fea-
tures to Apple art software. One of the
most useful is masking capabilities,
where colors may be set as masked, and
thus be immune to any changes. Mask-
ing is perfect for making minor adjust-
ments to delicate artwork. Another
innovation is something called "slippy
colors," which lets you lasso objects
and individual colors, then move them,
all without disturbing the surrounding
art. The program also matches some of
Deluxe Paint IPs features. Perspectives,
sophisticated brushes, and gradient
blending of colors, for instance, are now
available in Gold, Like many IlGS
graphics-intensive programs, however,
Paintworks Gold is often slow, particu-
larly when such things as large brushes

MAY 198

REVIEWS

are used or com plicated perspectives

are attempted.

Paininvrks Gold is a step up in
Apple llGS paint programs, especially
when features are compared and
counted,

— GK

Apple llQS— $99,95

{Painiworks Pfus owners may upgrade to

Paintwofks Go!d for $20 until 5/31 /S8. for $40 after

that.)

Activision

2350 Bayshore Pkwy.

Mountain View. CA 94043

(415)960-0410

MemoryMate

Have you ever been in the middle of an
important project and suddenly needed
someone's phone number, or thought
of an item to add to your shopping list,
or needed to reschedule an appoint-
ment? Memory Male from Broderbund
does all of this without forcing you to
put away your work.

MemoryMate is a R.A.M-resident
information retrieval program which
can be based either in your root directo-
ry or in a subdi rector)'; it can also oper-
ate as a stand-alone program. A single
keystroke calls up ihc program inside
any other application.

The program's command list is
displayed across the top of the screen at
all times. A help screen is also available
to explain commands, including copy-
ing or moving data from record lo re-
cord as well as importing or exponing
data to or from ASCII files.

Data is entered free- form into re-
cords which are limited to 60 lines con-
sisting of 80 characters each. The
program can store up to two megabytes
of data on a hard disk system.

Specific records can be located by
searching for any word, phrase, or date
they may contain. When the necessao'
record or records have been found, us-
ers may exit to the exact spot where
they paused in their application.

The program's memor\^ residency
works well with most other software,
but I did experience access problems
when several large files in my database
were opened. Most questions are an-
swered in the accompanying documen-
tation, but the information is
sometimes difficult to locate. Users
must sometimes flip back and forth be-
tween the main text and the appendix.

The program has helped to orga-
nize mv cluttered desk and my clut-

tered mind. It has also reminded me of
important deadlines and when my
phone bill is due. I now turn to Memory-
Mate instead of reaching for a note pad
or my calendar.

— MM

IBM PC and compatible computers with at least
256K RAM— S69.95

Broderbund Software

17 Paul Dr.

San Rafael, CA 94903-21 01 ;

Fire Power

Computer tank games are nearly as old
as the videogame industry'. So it may be

surprising that Fire Power, a tank game
from Microillusions, has become so
popular. What makes Fire Power a
crowd pleaser?

It's easy to play, and it's fun.

You can play with one player or
two. but it's the two-player option that
will keep you coming back. Just as in
.Atari's ancient lank Pong game for the
VCS 2600, this game's success comes
from its reaK human, head-to-head
competition. If you can get your hands
on two .4migas and two modems, you
and your enemy can play from different
rooms, difTerent houses, or even differ-
ent Slates.

Unfortunately, Fire Power is as
gruesome as it is fun. It's truly horrify-
ing to see men being run over by
tanks — nothing's left but mangled bod-
ies and pools of blood, scenes that are
all too realistic on the Amiga. Some
may want to pass this game by on hu-
manitarian grounds.

— HA

Amiga— S24.95

Microilluslons
17408 Chatsworth St.
Granada Hills. CA 91344
(800)522-2041

Street Sports;
Baseball

Street Sports: Baseball Ukcs baseball
out of the little leagues, exchanging
sparkling uniforms, up-to-date equip-
ment, and the standard playing field for
the game that you remember playing as
a kid.

Ball diamonds are makeshift. Field
locations include a vacant lot and a
parking lot. Bases may be improvised

from jackets, trash can lids, or old tires.
Players are chosen from a roster of 16
neighborhood kids. It's your job to read
their playing specs (they vary in hitting,
fielding, and throwing skills), and put
together a winning team.

First, you must choose your play-
ing field. Then choose to play cither
against another person or against the
computer. You can play with old teams
(on disk), or you can play with new
teams, in which case you get to select
each player on your squad. If you make
up a new team, you name it, select its
players, and set the lineup and field
positions.

Joystick commands are simple and
sensible. The game makes visual sense
as well. A "split screen" format shows
you both the playing field from behind
the home plate and an aerial view of the
entire field. The close-up shows the
pitcher's throw to the batter and the
batters swing. The overview gives you
each player's position in relation to the
ball and the bases.

When the game is being played, the
top quarter of the screen serves as the
scoreboard, which displays even'thing
you'd expect to find on the scoreboard
at a major league park.

St reel Sports: Baseball is fun to
play. Epyx has put together a program
with lots of options. Playing nine in-
nings against the computer or a friend
will offer you challenges and thrills as
you watch your outfielder catch that pop
fly or the third baseman tag a runner.

— C'^7/

Apple II^S39.95
Commodore 64/128— $39.95
IBM PC and compatibles— S39.95

Epyx

600 Galveston Dr,

Redwood City. CA 94063

(415)366-0606

AC/BASIC Compiler

In general, the BASIC languages avail-
able for most computers arc compatible
with each other. .An IF-THEN state-
ment looks the same, no matter what
computer you're using.

In real life, things aren't so easy.
The best programs rely heavily on the
special features of the computer and the
particular strain of BASIC AC/BASIC
lets you write programs that run almost
unchanged on the .Amiga, .Apple IlGS,

58 COMPUTE!

REVIEWS

and Macintosh.

What do these computers have in
common? Several things: a window-
based mouse interface, high-resolution
bitmapped graphics, great sound, and
high-level event trapping. AC/BASIC
lets you take advantage of these features.

There are three different versions
of AC/ BASIC one for each of the sup-
ported computers. On the Amiga and
Macintosh, you program with the Mi-
crosoft BASIC interpreter for your
computer, then use the AC/BASIC
compiler to make your programs run
several times faster.

On the Apple IlGS, you use AC/
B.ASIC as a compiled language — it is
never run in interpreted mode. What
makes AC/BASIC exciting on the IlGS
is that it's the easiest way to make fast
applications that use the IlGS's special
features.

You'll need to be programming in
BASIC at the intermediate level (at
least) to use AC/BASIC — nearly every
program we tried to compile needed to
be modified slightly.

— 114

Amiga with at least 512K^S195
Appfe IlGS with at least 51 2K— Si 25

Absoft (Amiga. Apple II)
2781 Bond St,
Auburn Hills, Ml 48057
pi 3) 853-0050

Microsoft BASIC Compiler (Macintosh)
Macintosh with at least 51 2K— Si 95

Microsoft Corporation

16011 NE 36th Way

Box 97017

Redmond, WA 98073-9717

(206)882-8089

Contributing to Fast Looks this month were
Rhett Anderson; David Hensley, Jr.; Carol
S. Holzberg; Gregg Keizer; and Mickey
McLean.

Ticket to
London

You look like you could use a vacation.
Ten days in London sound good? Don't
worry about expensive tickets and pric-
ey accomodations. About thirty dollars
will get you a ver\' special package tour:
Blue Lion^s Ticket to London,

Just don't expect some stuffv' group
excursion — this trip is an adventure!

The adventure starts at once. Fol-
lowing a title screen, a snatch of music,
and entry of your name, you find your-
self at Victoria Station. With a colorful
graphic of the station serving as back-
drop, you are met by a British travel

agent. He's wearing a distinctive Eng-
lish Bowler. He has your return air-
plane ticket, but being a roguish sort, he
decides to play a game with you, and
test your knowledge of things and peo-
ple British.

The Tower ts just one ot the sights youMI
see in Ticket to London.

You won*t get your return ticket
until you guess the mystery Briton he
has in mind. To add a little spice to
your adventure, clues are scattered
around the city. If you don't solve the
mystery within ten days, you'll be stuck
in London for good,

A quick check of the screen's status
board assures you that the situation is
far from hopeless. It's ten in the morn-
ing on your first day, and you have
$300 as well as £50 (that's 50 British
pounds). The game's status board is
simple and unobtrusive; you can check
your financial well-being at any time. If
you don't take care of yourself, a line
advises you to rest or eat. Another line
lets you know how much time remains
before you're stranded.

When you're ready to leave the sta-
tion, a map of London is displayed. The
map shows more than 20 different
points of interest, including museums,
shops, hotels, restaurants, Trafalgar
Square, and other important sights.
Each location is represented by a dis-
tinctive and easy-to-recognize graphic.

Your current location flashes on
the map. A single keystroke sets your
course to any of the other places of in-
terest dotting the winding Thames.
Some sightseeing is in order, so you
choose a mode of transportation and de-
cide to visit the Tower of London first

The Underground is available, or
you can walk, but this time you decide
to treat yourself to a taxi, ^.'he friendly
cabby starts a conversation. He asks a
question of British interest and you cy-
cle through several potential answers.

His questions range from history
to geography, culture and entertain-
ment. You're as likely to be asked.

'*Who was the mother of Queen Eliza-
beth 1?" as '*What do you get when you
mix beer with lemonade?"

Questions appear in balloons on
the left of the screen. Cycle through po-
tential answers in the balloon on the
right. Press Enter or Return to make
your selection. Choose carefully — you
only get two chances.

A correct answer is rewarded with
a Good Show! message; a tally line ap-
pears and tracks your correct answers.
Answer enough questions correctly, and
you receive a message that guides you
to clues. Pay the cabby when you reach
the Tower, Make a mental note to stop
at a bank and exchange some more dol-
lars for pounds.

The aged Tower is impressively pic-
tured with its familiar walls and turrets,
and you can almost see the ravens. After
a bite to eat in a cozy, traditional British
inn, if s time for more sightseeing.

This time you lake the tubes.
Heading to the British Museum, you
meet another friendly and inquisitive
gent- Thanks to your knowledge, and a
little bit of luck, you answer enough
questions to receive a message along
the lines of, Buy something old, shiny,
and round or See Marlowe's play
Clues! The antiques shops on Porto-
bello Road might have something old
and shiny, and there may be tickets at
the Barbican for a Mariowe play.

The clues are simple. Tiy some
game in jelly would be a good reason to
go to Simpson's for an elegant pheasant
in aspic. A message advising you to See
the American Painter should nudge you
in the direction of a museum. Will you
know which one?

Follow a message correctly and a
bowler hat appears, bearing a clue to
the mysler>' person's identity. Clues are
relatively straightforward: He was one
of eight children or She was the child-
hood playmate of her husband's brothers.
There are ten clues for each mystery per-
son. The more clues you possess, the
more helpful are subsequent clues. Mes-
sages can be reviewed with the doorman
at your hotel. The travel agent at Vic-
toria Station keeps track of the clues.

I won't spoil the fun by giving
away any mystcr>' identities. The indi-
viduals, though, are well-known per-
sonalities from the realm of British fact
and fiction.

Play the game at your own pace.
You can rush around London, respond-
ing to messages immediately, or you
can take a leisurely tour of the old city.
From Buckingham Palace to Covent
Garden, each place of interest has its
own screen. Representations are faith-

M A Y 19 8

REVIEWS

ful, colorful renditions that capture the
feeling of Londonlown.

Stop by Nelson's Column, enjoy a
very high-class tea at Fortnum and
Mason, or poke around in a dusty old
bookshop filled with Dickens and
Shakespeare. Don't be afraid to live it
up, but watch your money. Think your
routes through, as well. Cabs are fast,
but expensive. The Underground is
cheap, but a delay could cause you to
miss the curtain at an opera. Walking
saves money, but takes more time. Be-
sides, on foot you may find yourself in
the middle of a serious British down-
pour. Gel too wet, and the manual sug-
gests that you'll be forced to spend
precious lime recuperating at your ho-
tel. (Judicious purchases, though, such
as an umbrella and boots, afford some
protection from the elements.)

This is an enjo>able program. So
much so that you may find yourself wist-
ful when you win. Your tour then ends.

Fortunately, Blue Lion has includ-
ed enough mysteries and questions to
ensure high replay potential. The game
is suitable for travellers who have been
to London as well as Anglophiles antici-
pating their first trip. It's also a lot of
fun for armchair travellers who may
never make the trip for real. In fact,
Ticket to London may be as close to
London as you can come without going.

Cheerio!

^ Ed Ferrell

Ticket to London

For . . .

Apple llc/e/llGS. with 128K— S39.95
Commodore 64/128— S29.95
IBM PC, XT, AT. Tandy 1000. and PCjr,
with 128K and CGA or Hercules graph-
ics—$39.95

From . . .

Blue Lion Software
90 Sherman St.
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617)876-2500

And . . .

Also in the series. Ticket to Paris, Ticket to
Spain, and Ticf<etto Washington, D.C.

Border Zone

Border Zone, a new interactive text
game, brings the intrigue of internation-
al espionage to your computer and key-
board. As the main character, you are
involved in an assassination plot in the
mythical Eastern Bloc nation of Frob-

60 COMPUTEI

nia. Danger is around ever>^ corner, de-
ception is practiced by everyone.

Tongue in cheek, Infocom includes
several nondisk materials with the pro-
gram, aimed at helping you get into the
story as well as providing information
for your quest. These items include a

■ii MiK^;

Play three different characters in
Infocom' s new all-text adventure of
intrigue and assassination.

Frobnia Tourist Guide and Phrasebook,

a business card, a matchbook, and a map
of the Frobnia/Litzenburg border.

Ironically, these materials combine
with the detail and richness of the dia-
logue and story to create a colorful pic-
ture of a drab and stoic country-.

The game itself is all text. Frankly,
I have found it hard to play text-only
games since the advent of games such
as The Pawn from Firebird, which
mixes graphics with text. I like the
added element of visual stimulation
that occasional graphics provide. But
Infocom has stuck with its philosophy
of exercising your mind, not your senses.

Border Zone, though, breaks new
ground for the company in several re-
spects. To begin with, the program is di-
vided into three self-contained
chapters. Each chapter permits you to
play a different character in the story's
central, assassination-oriented plot.

Chapter One places you in the
shoes of an easygoing American busi-
nessman returning from a trip behind
the Iron curtain. Your quiet train trip is
interrupted by a wounded, on-the-run
American spy. You find yourself in-
volved in an assassination plot, con-
fronted by a dangerous KGB officer. In
Chapter Two, your character is the
wounded American agent whose assign-
ment is to stop the assassination. Chap-
ter Three gives you the role of the KGB
officer.

This three-scenario approach is
both interesting and satisfying. I have
often wondered what a particular text
game would be like from another per-
spective. Border Zone gives the oppor-
tunity to see a story from more than

one point of view.

Perhaps more important, the game
takes place in realtime, adding to the
suspense of the stor>. Time is constant-
ly ticking away in the upper right corner
of the screen. Unlike other text adven-
tures that progress only as you give re-
sponses. Border Zone's story moves
along without your help. Unless you in-
voke the PAUSE command, things
happen in the story, and to you. Time, is
of the essence during all three of the
scenarios, and realtime progression of
the story is guaranteed to produce
sweaty palms.

Another new technique for Info-
com is Border Zone's online hints.
Every adventure gamer has at one time
or another been tempted to buy a hint
book. Not this time: Border Zone's
hints are provided as part of the pro-
gram. A simple command takes you to
a menu where you retrieve hints for
various points in the story. Once you
select the topic, you're given increasing-
ly revealing clues.

Border Zone has a smart parser,
the vocabulary-driven interface that lets
you communicate with the program.
The game has an 800- word vocabulary,
and it recognizes multiple objects with
certain verbs. You can include several
sentences on one line. If a command is
unclear, the program either makes an
assumption or questions you to resolve
the ambiguity. With the special OOPS
command, you can save yourself from
retyping an entire sentence because of
one mistake. For example, if your com-
mand was PUT THE BOK ON THE
TABLE, you could correct it by typing
OOPS BOOK.

Border Zone is a well done, inter-
esting, and challenging text adventure.
It is an intelligent program with an ad-
vanced parser. The realtime game pro-
gression and the opportunity to portray
different characters in the plot set
Border Zone apart from other text ad-
ventures and make it an attractive en-
tertainment for either advanced text
gamesters or entertainment novices.

— Scott Thomas
>

Border Zone

For . . .

Apple II— S39.95
Commodore 64/1 28— $34.95
IBM PC and compatibles— $39.95
Macintosh~$39,95

From . . .

Infocom

125 Cambridge Park Drive

Cambridge, MA 02140

(617)492-6000

REVIEWS

The
Commodore 128D

The Commodore 128D, inlroduced in
Europe over two years ago, has finally
made its way lo the U.S., replacing the
128 as Commodore^s premier eight-bit
machine. The new 128D is ever>thing an
upgrade should be. It's an enhancement
of the 128 that's completely compatible
with all existing software and peripherals.

The most obvious change in the
128D is its new exterior, which strongly
resembles Commodore's Amiga 1000.
Features include a detachable keyboard
and a sleek metal case that houses the
system hardware, the power supply,
and an upgraded 1571 drive. Not only
is the 128D's new look more polished
and professional than the 128's, the
new design has some practical advan-
tages, too.

The 128D's detachable keyboard
uses the same layout as the 128's, but
has a lighter action, making lightning-
fast touch typing easy. The keyboard's
cord is shorter than it should be, but it's
long enough to let you reap most of the
benefits of delachability.

The slim metal case that houses
the system hardware protects the com-
puter's delicate circuitr>' from coffee
spills and also acts as an excellent RF
shield. Like the Amiga 1000, the system
unit can be used as a convenient monitor
stand, with a 128D ensemble taking up
much less desk space than a 128 system
with an external disk drive and monitor.

Commodore did more than just
wrap the 128 in an attractive new pack-
age. There are several internal improve-
ments worth noting, the biggest being a
dramatic increase in 80-column video
RAM. The 128's 8563 chip had 16Kof
dedicated RAM, but the 128D has a
massive 64K. This new RAM makes
exciting multicolor, hi-res 640 X 200
graphics possible on the 128D.

There are more hardware improve-
ments to the 1571. Recently, Commo-
dore updated its stand-alone 1571 disk
drive by releasing new ROMs, which
corrected some bugs in previous edi-
tions and increased the drive's speed.
The new 128D's internal 1571 sports
these upgraded ROMs.

The CP/M 3.0 operating system that
comes bundled with the 128D is also en-
hanced. It now fliUy supports Commo-
dore's new 1581 3'/2-inch disk drive and
includes several utilities not found in the
initial releases of the i28's CP/M.

As far as the user is concerned, the
128D functions just like the 128. It has
three modes: 64 mode (with 40-column

composite color video and BASIC 2.0),
128 mode (with 40-column composite
color video, 80-column color RGB vid-
eo, and BASIC 7.0), and CP/M mode
(using the 128's inboard Z80A micro-
processor). And it runs both GEOS and
GEOSI28 operating systems.

.All the familiar input/output ports
on the old 128 are represented on the
128D, but some are in different loca-
tions. They include two ports for joy-
slicks or a mouse, a serial port for disk
drives and printers, a port for a RAM
expansion module, a cassette port, and
a user port for a modem or RS-232 in-
terface. Just like the 128, the 128D
boasts a handy reset switch.

The 128D is a winner. It's well de-
signed, compatible with the 128, and
has some important enhancements.

— Clifton Karnes

The Commodore 120D features a detach-
able keyboard and an internal 1571 5V4-
inch disk drive.

The 128D appears to be completely
compatible with the 128. We've tested it
with a wide range of software and peri-
pherals in 64 mode and 1 28 mode, with
CP/M, and with GEOSand GE0S12S.
All software and hardware performed
without problems.

There isn't much to criticize about
the 128D. If fact, my only reser\'ations
center around the internal 1571 drive.
Although an internal drive can have
many benefits, it also has some draw-
backs. First, there's the matter of repair.
If the drive needs to go to the shop, the
whole system must go. Also, the 128D's
internal 1571 doesn't have the external
DIP switches that make reassigning de-
vice numbers so easy on the stand-
alone versions. Commodore must
assume that you'll always want the in-
ternal drive to be configured as device
8, but users with a 1 28D and a 1 58 1
drive may not see things that way. The
last problem with the internal 1571 is
that it makes the I28D more expensive
than a 1 28. With the latter machine, a
64 owner could upgrade to a 1 28 and
use his or her 1541 disk drive. With the
i28D, the drive comes with the system,
so you don't have any choice about pur-
chasing it. But these are minor points.

Gommodore 128D

For . . .

S599.95

From . . .

Commodore Business Machines
t200WifsonDr.
Westchester. 1^ 19380
(215)431-9100

Star Trek: The
Rebel Universe

There are so many good things about
this game that it's impossible not to
wish the developers had carried their
ideas a bit further. The attempt to cap-
ture the feel of the original Star Trek
series and the more recent Star Trek
movies is admirable, and the game's
player interface is truly noteworthy.

Despite these excellences, though,
Star Trek: The Rebel Universe suffers in
the end from an unexpected tedious-
ness of play, and a realization that one
of the popular series' most attractive at-
tributes has not been included.

Too bad, because in many w^ays
Star Trek: The Rebel Universe is more
than superb.

The game casts the crew of the En-
terprise into a sealed-off section of space
called the Quarantine Zone. Within that
zone, a host of Federation starships have
turned traitor, owing of course to a Klin-
gon plot, and Kirk and the folks must
find a way to stop the rebellion from
spreading. This demands visiting star
system after star system, trying lo keep
the Enterprise alive while searching for
the solution to the problem.

The game screen includes one large
primary display, with seven surrounding
secondary displays. In fact, there are
more than ei^t screens, since many of
the individual displays have subdisplays,
but only eight are shown at one time. Ac-
cessing any display means simply point-
ing at it and clicking with the mouse.

Seven of the screens show familiar
Star Trek characters (the graphics here
are very good), and each character has a
specific function or functions. The Kirk
screen, for instance, shows the time (the
Captain's Log), and allows access to the
Transporter Room and to the Stores
(the stuff you've brought on board from

MAY 1988 61

REVIEWS

your adventures). Click on Spock, as
ever the Science OfTicer, and you find
out the Enterprise's condition, as well
as details about star systems and their
allegiances (friend or foe). When you
reach a solar system, it's Spock who
tells you what types of planets are there.
Uhura's screen shows incoming mes-
sages, Scotty's displays the energy and
dilithium crystal levels, Chekov's al-
lows weapons selection, McCoy's shows
the health of each officer, and Sulu's
gives access to navigation.

^^'im'...

3 ^

'^.■^'%

IsHK

' ■•'■ . -.: 'l.'-"i'^

lE^^^H^^B^^iff

2 ... - i
^ '-BJ

The crew of the Enterprise must solve the
mysteries of the Rebel Universe.

Sulu's screen, in fact, is the most
commonly used. His secondary dis-
plays include a map of the Quarantine
Zone and, as they become applicable,
maps of the solar systems the Enter-
prise enters. To select a system to travel
to, you click on the appropriate system
shown on Sulu's large, rotating star-
map. Fire up the Warp drives, and, in a
few seconds, depending on the distance,
you're there.

Once inside a solar system, clicking
on individual planets reveals their type.
There are a wealth of planet types in the
game, ranging from Archive Complexes
(which give clues to solving the game),
to Contamination Zones, Dilithium
Mining Complexes, Energy Refineries,
Leeching Piles, Life-Supporting planets,
Mesonic Rings, Orbital Discontinua,
Siren Devices, Psionic Cores, and even
Planetary' Superminds. The manual ex-
plains each thoroughly, and each has a
unique effect on the progress of Kirk's
mission. The primary goal is to find Life-
Supporting planets, because on these you
find weapons, items, and artifacts.

Naturally, the Enterprise will fre-
quently be under attack. When the Klin-
gons strike, clicking on Chekov's screen
lets you select your response: either
phasers or photon torpedoes. A second-
ary display allows you to lock onto a tar-
get and fire the weapons. Phasers deplete
quickly, and since you have only 50 tor-

62 COMPUTE!

pedoes. choosing weapons and waiting
for good targets is essential. You can re-
plenish weapons at a Federation-owned
Weapons Dump planet.

Sound effects play an important
part in the game. .Accompanying the
opening screen is Kirk's voice, digitized
from the series, invoking, *'Space, the
Final Frontier," while throughout the
game you hear Chekov's digitized voice
shouting, ''Got him!" and Sulu's pro-
claiming, "Now in standard orbit, sir."
If you fail, Spock's face appears; he
raises an eyebrow and exclaims, '*I nev-
er will understand humans." And in
various places Scotty will utter one of
several warnings.

Other sounds used to good effect
include the transporter, the message
display, and the red alert, all audibly
faithful to the original series.

The game is extremely easy to play.
Clicking on the proper screen is the ma-
jor requirement, while keeping track of
where you've been is important as well.
Beyond that, though, all that's needed is
to keep the mission goal in mind, visit
many, many star systems, and stay alive.

And here is one of two major prob-
lems. There are many systems to visit,
and many enemies to fight, but, after
awhile, exploring and fighting grows te-
dious. Before long you find yourself not
wanting to bother with a nearby solar
system, while fighting battles quickly
loses its initial interest. Even though
there's a lot to do, much of it is
repetitious.

The second problem is more seri-
ous. What made the Star Trek series,
and all but the first movie, so fascinat-
ing was not the travelling, the combat,
and the discovery of devices and weap-
ons, but rather the interaction of the
Enterprise crew with alien cultures. In
the series. Kirk and the others beamed
down to a planet to explore it, to find
and examine cultures, and to solve
morally-charged problems.

During The Rebel Universe,
though, beaming down becomes an al-
most incidental part of the game. There
are no alien cultures to find. In other
words, the Enterprise's five-year mis-
sion— to explore new worids, to seek
out new civilizations — ^has been largely
ignored.

Star Trek: The Rebel Universe is a
good game. It has a clever interface, at-
tractive graphics, and, to those familiar
with Siar Trek, an instantly familiar
feel. If the game carried the sense of ex-
ploration further, though, it would be
much more memorable. Despite its
flaws, however, I recommend it as a
solid, playable, well-constructed game.

The great Star Trek simulation, howev-
er, is still to be done.

— Neil Randall

Star Trek: The
Rebel Universe

For...

Atari ST— S39.95
Commodore 64/1 28— $29.95
IBM PCs and compatibtes (requires 256K
and CGA)— $39.95

From ...

Simon & Schuster Software
One Gulf + Western Plaza
New York, NY 10023
(212)373-8882

Robotic
Workshop

This package managed the neat feat of

putting me — not the world's most
skilled or experienced electronic hobby-
ist— in control of robots that I built my-
self. Likewise for a ten-year-old boy and
his own robots. Robotic Workshop is a
combination hardware/software/me-
chanical components package that
teaches a variety of lessons about elec-
tronics and mechanics, provides soft-
ware for controlling the devices you
build, and accomplishes both purposes
simply enough to make the system ap-
propriate for children in upper elemen-
tary school and beyond.

While children will, I think, enjoy
working with Robotic Workshop and
will learn a great deal from it, this is not
a toy. Even the simplest projects in-
volve assembling mechancial devices,
loading software, and controlling the
experiment via an interface that plugs
into the computer. At the same time,
there are no soldering irons to warm up,
few wires to shave. Explanations are in
fairly simple English, and the frequent
diagrams, although small, are easily fol-
lowed even for complex constructions.

Best of all for younger users — not
to mention their parents and teachers —
the motors and components all snap to-
gether easily. .Access has built its Robotic
Workshop around the Capsela system of
mechanical hobby parts. A Capsela mo-
tor, for example, is a reversible electric
motor encased in a transparent plastic
sphere. Capsela spheres are studded
with coupling ports by which the mo-
tor, say, can be connected to a Capsela
transmission, and thence to a gear sys-
tem. The components snap together

Qcunplete^ ayvoL Zaiif^ . . .

r..4'^^

.^lo^coP^^

Here i\ is. You won't find software that's easier to use:

• (Requires no accounting knowledge

• Completely menu-driven witti on-line help

• 93-page fully indexed tutorial manual (on disk)

A Proven Track Record. Hard to believe ttie $16 price? Don't
worry MoneyCounts® tias been marketed for thiree years and
is continually receiving rave reviews. Ttiere's no catcti. Thiis is a
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S99 and more.

Same-Day Shipping. Order today and own MoneyCounts® for
only S16! Add S3 shipping and handling (outside North America
add $7). Iowa residents please add 4% sales tax. Send check
or money order payable to Parsons Technology. VISA and
iVIasterCard orders welcome.

VISA, MasterCard &. COD orders call:

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COUNTS

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MoneyCounts' requires IBM or compatible computer
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memory, DOS 2 0 or later and printer

Nome:.

Address:

City/Stote/Ztp:
Phone:

Check Money Order VISA __ MasterCard

Card # Exp Date ___

REVIEWS

easily, and it's quite a thrill to be able to
watch gears turn and motors spin under
your control.

Robotic Workshop comes with two
motors, tw^o speed reduction modules,
two worm gears, a transmission, and
plenty of couplers and connectors. You
also get a propeller, a wheel and a lire,
all of which are used in some of the ex-
periments. All of the parts worked as
promised, and are sturdy enough to
stand up to repeated use. Other Capsela
elements are listed in a catalog included
with the package.

Connecting power to the motors is
as simple as assembling the machines.
A ribbon cable that comes with Robotic
Workshop has leads which are inserted
into sockets on the Capsela units. No
twisting of wires and tightening of
screws.

The power itself comes from bat-
teries in Robotic Workshop's BlOO in-
terface. The interface must be
disassembled to install the batteries.
Once batteries are in place, the interface
plugs into the user port on the 64 or
128, although 128 owners will have to
remove the RGB connector, a fact odd-
ly overlooked in Access's documenta-
tion. On Apple 11-series machines, the
BlOO plugs into a slot (and thus the sys-
tem will not work with the Apple lie).

Once installed, the BlOO and the
Robotics Operating System (R. O. S.)
software that comes with the package
are your passport to whole worlds of
electronics and mechanics. R. O. S. is
itself one of the most impressive as-
pects of Robotic Workshop, The soft-
ware has a variety of BASIC commands
by which you control motor speed and
direction, program multiple motors,
and meter various operations. Some
complete motor control programs are
included to get you started, but it
doesn't take long to begin putting to-
gether your own routines.

Hardware, software, and mechani-
cal components can be assembled and
configured in a variety of ways. Robotic
Workshop's 50 projects are intelligently
arranged, moving from the introduc-
tory to the advanced at a sensible pace
that maintains interest without skip-
ping important details. The first pro-
ject, for example, "Motors &
Electricity," provides a brief but solid
discussion of electricity and circuits and
then puts the lesson immediately to
work. Within minutes of opening the
manual, installing the BlOO, and booting
R. O. S, you can be controlling motor
speed and direction from the keyboard.

By the time you get started on the
second project, you're already assembling

64 COMPUTE!

small machines. The first one is a simple
fan, whose speed and direction, again,
can be controlled from the keyboard.
.Advanced experiments lake ad-
vantage of the base to which Capsela
machines can be mounted: if you're
working with children, Td recommend
using the base from the beginning, lis
stability is necessary.

This strange flying machine is just one of
the robotic projects you can put together.

The deeper you press into the pro-
jects provided with Robotic Workshop,
the more sophisticated the projects be-
come. The first dozen projects deal with
motors and gears, including lessons on
hoists and cranes, gears and torque,
multiple motors, gyroscopes, and even
metering the efficiency of the engine.
Subsequent groups of projects focus on
generators, digital electronics (including
programming the joystick to provide
robot control), light and color (which
includes uses for Benham's disk, as well
as examples of strobe effects.) There are
projects that use infrared sensors for
counting and measurement of speed
and rpm. Robotic Workshop can inter-
face with audio devices, making possi-
ble experiments with digitized speech.
The BlOO has a voltmeter built in, let-
ting you test batteries. You can build a
burglar alarm or a radar-like tracking
unit. Capsela components can be put
together to make a mobile vehicle or
plotting device. At the end of the man-
ual are suggestions for other projects,
although, by the time you reach the
end, you will doubtless be generating
ideas of your own.

While the package contains a good
selection of components, which can be
used over and over, it's likely that the
more robots you build, the more youU
want to build. Some of your plans may
call for more parts than those included
with the kit. I was not familiar with the
Capsela system before Robotic Work-
shop, nor could I find them at nearby
hobby stores; order forms and catalogs
are included with the package, however.
Robotic Workshop's box contains a sty-

rofoam container with snug recesses for
the Capsela elements; for the smaller
parts a ZipLock bag makes a good stor-
age container.

Robotic Workshop impressed me,
as it did the children to whom I showed
it. Its lessons are both practical — what
is electricity, how do motors work, and
so on — and informative. With Robotic
Workshop, you get a glimpse of the na-
ture of programmable machiner%' and
the promise that robotics holds. The
lessons learned with the snap-together
Capsela components would seem to me
easily translated to larger motors, to
more advanced study of the subjects
Robotic Workshop introduces so well.

— Keith Ferrell

Robotic Workshop

For , . .

Commodore 64/1 28— $1 49.95

Apple II (excluding the Apple lie)— $169.95

From . . .

Access Software
545 W. 500 South
Bountifuf.UT 84010
(800) 824-2549

And...

Teacher's edition available; additional Cap-
sela components can t^e found at hobby
stores or ordered via the catalogs included
in the package.

Airborne
Ranger

What do you get when you combine the
brains behind Micro Prose's strategic
games with first-rate arcade-style
action, animation, and graphics? An
arcade game that makes you think.

Airborne Ranger puts you at the
cutting edge of combat. As a ranger, you
might be asked to serve in the desert, in
the arctic, or in a temperate zone. Your
weapons vary according lo the mission
you choose and may include a carbine,
hand grenades, rockets, or a knife.

Before the game begins, you select
whether to play as a practice or veteran
ranger. You can't be a veteran unless
you are a veteran: The game lets you
save, on formatted disks, a roster of
veterans who've proven themselves.
When a veteran doesn't make it back
from a mission, his death is reflected on
the roster My advice is to slick with the
practice ranger until you begin to com-
plete missions consistently.

The next step is to select a mission.
It's difficult to advise you on mission se-

REVIEWS

lection, since they're all difficult. The
mission's difficulty level may also be se-
lected. The lower levels afTect the types
of weapons available lo your adversaries,

You*re given your orders, which
may involve destroying an ammo
dump, creating a diversion, kidnapping
an enemy officer, or completing any of
nine other assignments. The level of vi-
olence varies widely among the avail-
able missions.

A fatigue test requires the game's
manual as a reference, ensuring that
your copy is legitimate. If you fail the
lest, you are told you are too tired to
continue. You take R & R, which
means rebooting the disk.

The mission begins. You fly at a
low level over the target area, steering
the fast, quiet V-22 Osprey and maneu-
vering it for the most effective position.
Study the terrain. The aerial view of the
mission arena is colorful and scrolls
smoothly, revealing the details of the
arena where your mission will take place.

The mission area is rectangular and
surrounded by land labeled unsafe ter-
rain. You can't leave the mission area.
While you're flying over it take the time
to notice its major features. Rough-look-
ing land represents a mine field. Ravines
crisscross the landscape. Machine-gun
nests and bunkers are easily recognized.
Your objective and recovery zone can
be found at the top of the mission area;
your drop zone is at the bottom.

During your approach, you may
drop up lo three supply pods containing
medicine and ordnance. Try to land
them in strategic locations. Their con-
tents can resupply you in the middle of
a mission.

As you near the lower perimeter of
the mission area, a buzzer sounds. You
jump and then pilot your parafoil to-
ward ground where you can land with-
out being noticed. Once you reach the
ground, you're on your own.

Groundside, the main play screen
shows the immediate terrain surround-
ing you. An X floats before you to assist
you in aiming your rifle. The X also
aims other weapons, locates the landing
point of your grenades, and the path of
your rockets.

A keystroke gels an alternate map
screen, revealing the entire mission
area. Use this screen to get your bear-
ings, locate your supply pods, and plan
your route through the bunkers and the
machine gun emplacements that lie be-
tween you and your objective. You can
earn additional points by destroying
these emplacements, but such derring-
do is not recommended. Although it's
satisfying lo see a high score, it's worth-

Behind enemy lines, the ranger has only
his weapons and his wits.

less if you don't survive.

On the play screen, you can move

your ranger either on fool — walking or
running — or prone. Secrecy is vital, yet
crawling takes time. And no matter
how careful you are, sooner or later you
will be faced with enemy troops. At that
point you have a decision to make^ — do
you avoid the enemy, hide from them,
or fight them?

Fortunately, you know when sol-
diers are coming, even when ihey are
offscreen. It seems the enemy has
thoughtfully equipped all troops with
tap shoes. Your own progress, on the
other hand, is absolutely silent.

In operations with a low difficulty
level, you might be able to avoid detec-
tion simply by lying still in a ravine or
behind a wall. In other scenarios, ene-
my soldiers approach from every
direction.

When moving forward, I like to
slick to the ravines. These are the larg-
est identifiable details on the landscape.
They often cross each other, and they
are usually laid out on the map at regu-
lar intervals. So, in addition lo offering
a measure of cover, the ravines serve as
excellent guideposts as you proceed to
your objective.

It's tough to maintain absolute se-
crecy. Sometimes you have to fight. A
knife is helpful at close range, but more
often you'll use your carbine. Sound ef-
fects let you know when you've hit the
enemy. When enemy soldiers die, ihey
change color and shortly disappear. For
larger emplacements, you may be
forced to use grenades or rockets. Don't
get too close. When objects are de-
stroyed by rockets or grenades, they
scatter shrapnel that could wound you
as well as destroy any nearby soldiers.

Weapons selection is controlled
from the keyboard, as is first aid, and
standing/crawling. Key assignment is
sensible and minimal, but the game
nonetheless comes equipped with one
of those reprehensible cutouts to fit

over the computer keyboard.

Airborne Rangers is an excellent
game from beginning lo end. My only
hesitation in recommending it whole-
heartedly has to do with the attributes
some game players will find most at-
tractive: the realism and the violence.

The authors of this game have
done some thinking in this regard, and
they have included a disclaimer of sorts
(along with a brief history of the Rang-
ers) in the manual. I suppose no one
picking up a game called Airborne
Rangers expects to find sugar plums
and daffodils inside. Be aware, however,
that the violence and action are graphic
and highly realistic.

— Robert Bixby

Airborne Ranger

For...

Commodore 64/1 28— $34.95

From,,,

Microprose
ISOLakefrontDr.
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(301)771-1151

And...

The game wil) also be available in 1 988 for
IBM PC and PC compatibles.

Dream Zone

Baud vi lie, best known for its excellent
graphics programs {Blazing Paddles
and 816/Paini) has released its first en-
tertainment package, which, if nothing
else, is sure to be controversial The
game, a beautifully rendered graphics
adventure, is entitled Dream Zone and
il is bizarre ... but that's meant in the
nicest way.

The premise is simple: Troubled
by recurring nightmares, none of which
you can remember the next morning,
you seek help from Dr. Sigmund Fraud.
His method of treatment places you in-
side your dreams so thai you can seek
out and destroy the monster haunting
your nights. Your dream world be-
comes reality: If you fail to complete
your quest and escape from the land of
the subconscious, you'll perish.

Simple, you say. But youMl never
use that word again in connection with
Dream Zone, From the minute the
game leaves reality (which is depicted
in stunning black-and-white digitized
pictures) and enters the world of
dreams, play becomes as confusing,
illogically logical, and frustrating

continued on pagt 10

MAY 19

8 es

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2400 3179.95

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MSP-10 $259.95

MSP^ 5289.95

MSP-15 S324.95

MSP-50 S389.95

MSP'45 ,. ..,. $425,95

MSP-55 $489.95

Premiere 35 ,... 5464.95

Tribute 224 5624,95

EPSON

LXeOO „.„ „.. $179.95

FX86E ,. $279.95

FX286E $424.95

EX800 $399.95

LQ500 5309.95

LQIOOO wH'ractOf $549,95

LQ2500 5819.95

GQ3500 ....„., $LOW

LQ850 5489.95

LQ1050 $6S9,95

OKIO^TA

Okimate 20 , $1 19

Okimate 20 w/cart ........... $179.95

120......................... $189.95

180 $219.95

182 $209.95

1B2+ .,...,.... ....5225.95

183 S249.95

192+ ,...,„.... $309.95

193+ ,.... 5449.95

292 w/interface $449,95

293 w/interface $585.95

294 w/interface $819.95

393 $955.95

Panasonic

1080i Model II $179.95

1091! Model II ..$199.95

1092i 5319.95

1592.,... $409.95

1595 $459,95

3131 $299.95

3151 $479.95

KXP 4450 Laser $CALL

1524 24 Pin $559.95

Fax Partrwr ,.„,.,.., $589.95

DIABLO

025 $499.95

635.... ,.,..$779.95

BROTHER

Ml 109 S195

M1409 $299

M1509 $335

M1709 5475

Twin writer 6 Dot & Daisy $699

M1724L ....„„. $599

HR20 .„ $339

HR40 , .,..,.. „ 5569

HR60 ,... $709.95

Join the thousands who shop Lyco and Save!

Wo stock interfacing for Atari, Commoctore, Apple and IBM.

T PRICE

SOFTWARE

BEST SELECTION

ATARrSr ^ OOMMODOAE

WASSSGA

Baseball .. $33.95

nager $16.95

$25.95

38 $22,95

Eagle $24.95

$28.95

Imulatfons:

, $22.95

................ $22.95

on. Set $19.95

I ..,.,„ S22.95

atOf I! $31,49

k S14.95

ST , S44.95

S39.95

lef ST $44.95

fki:

I or 2 .,.,.... $14.95

$19.95

ders $17.95

*antasy S15.9S

$25.95

$19,95

$28.95

$22.95

$11.95

ider Brrf. ... $22.95
jrses #1 ... S1 1.95
jrses #2 ... $1 1 .95
^d Pack $14.95

«. $18.95

pper .......... $18.95

Jasketball. $19.95

3 S19.95

Messes ..... S22.95
iminator ..... $15.95

K $25,95

II , S19.95

r Rally S16.95

$19.95

jfc $19.95

: ................. $19.95

, $25.95

ision .....,.„, S19.95
icludod:

1 $31.95

Pages ...... S3t.95

oftworks:

, $29.95

64 $29.95

$35.95

$39,95

$29.95

m $39.95

C64 $39,95

iPak $29.95

riter S27.95

n Diego $19.95

. I, It, III $13.95

S25.49

Compan $22.95

,.. $16.95

:haltenge ... $11.95

$14,95

aha:

jness ,..,...... $20.95

FT S22.95

Demon Stalkers $20.95

Dragon's Lair $16.95

Skate or Die $20.95

Strike Reel $20 95

Epyx:

Destroyer $22.95

Fastload $19.95

Sub Battle $22.95

Winter Games $11.95

California Games ........ S22.95

Stf. Spons Basketball . 322.95
Summer Games II ...,.„ $11.95

World Games $22.95

Boulderdash Con Set .. $1 3.95

Rad Warrior $13.95

Rreblrd:

Elite $18.95

Guild of Thieves $22.95

Pawn $2295

Tracker $22.95

Starglider .,. $18,95

Sentfy „. .,. $22,95

Mtcroleague:

Micfoleag. BasebaJI $22,95

General Manager 516,95

Slat Disk $13,95

Mttroleag. Wrestling .,,. $16,95

'87 Team Disk ,„.„. $11.95

Micro prose:

Airborne Parser S22.95

F*15 Strike Eagle SI 9.95

Gunship ., ,.„.,. $19,95

Kennedy Approach SI 3.95

Silent Service S19.95

Solo Flight $13,96

Top Gunner ..,„ $13.95

Pirates ,.,. $22.95

Staaltti Fighter $22,95

Origin:

Autoduel S28.95

Ultima III .................... $22,95

Ultima IV $33.95

Moebius $22.95

Software Slnnutatlons:

Pure Stat Baseball .,.,.. $22.95

Football .„ $17.95

Pure Stat College

Basketball $22.95

Springboard:

Newsroom $29,95

Certificate Maker $29.95

Clip Art Vol, #1 ,.„. $17,95

Clip Art Vol. #2 $23,95

Clip Aft Vol. #3 $17.95

Graphics Expander $21,95

Strategic Simulations:

Gettysburg $33.95

Phantasie II $22.95

Phantasie III ..-.. $22.95

Road War 2000 .„. $22.95

Wizards Crown ,.,,. $22.95

Wargame Constr. 516.95

Battlecruiser $33.95

Eternal Dagger $22,95

Shitoh $22.95

Questron II .„.., S22,95

Phantasie „ $22.95

Sons of Liberty $19,95

Sublogic:

Right Simulator II $31.49

Jet Simulator ..,.. $24,95

Night Mission Prnbatl .,. $18,95
Scenery Disk 1-6 .,......, $12.95

SteaJth Mission $31 .95

Timoworks:

Fanner C64 $22,95

Partner 128 $27,95

Swift Calc 128 ............. $27.95

Wofdwriter 128 $27,95

Wofdwriter 3 64 $22.95

Silvia Porter Vol, 1-64. SCALL
UrtlMHi WoHd:

Art Gallery 1 or 2 ., $14.95

Print Master $17.95

Art Gallery Fantasy ,.,., S25.95

Accesa:

Triple Pack $11.95

Workj Class Leader

Board S23.95

Famous Coyrses 511,95

ActMslon:

Zorit Trik)gy $39,95

Champ, Baseball $22,95

Champ, Basketball $22,95

GFL Football „-, $22,95

Might & Magkj $28,95

Maniac Mansion $19.95

Postcards S14.95

Shanghai $19.95

Veagers AFT $20,95

BrodertHind:

Airheart ,...,., $22.95

Print Shop $26.95

Print Shop Comp. ,„ $22.95

Canrien S, Diego (USA). ,$22.95
On Balance „.,,...,......,. $56,95

Bank St, Writer + „...,. $44.95
Electronic Arte:
Legacy of ttre

Ancients $25,95

Epyx:

Destroyer ,. S22.95

Movie Monster ,,.., $11.95

St, Sports Basketbalt ,., $22,95
Sub Battte Simulator ,„ S22.95

Winter Games $11,95

WorW Games S22,95

California Games $22,95

Print Magic „ $33.95

Rad Warrior „... $13.95

Firebird:

Elite $19.95

The Pawn $25,95

Stargfider $25.95

Mlcroteague:

Microleag. Baseball $22,95

General Manager ,. $16,95

StetDisk $11,95

87 Team Disk $13.95

Micro prose:

Crusade in Europe $22.95

Decision in Desert ,,.,.,. $22.95
F-15 Strke Eagle .,,.,.,, $19.95

Silent Service ...,.,.., $19,95

Pirates .,.,..,.,.,.. $22,96

Strategic Slmulationt:

Gettysburg ,.. ....„,„ $33,95

Phantasie Ml „„„„„.,.,„ $22,95

Shard of Spring .,,. $22,95

Wizards Crown $22.95

Eternal Dagger $22,95

Sriikjh ..., SNEW

Sons of Liberty $22,95

Panzer Strike ,„. $28.95

Road War Europe $22.95

Sublogic:

Flight Simulator II $30.95

Jet Simulator S24.95

Scenery #1-# ea $12,95

Unison World:

Art Gallery 2 $14.95

Print Master $19.95

Art Gallery Fantasy ..... S25.95

Access:

Worid Class Lead, Bd, . $CALL
Actlvlston:

Champ. Basketball S25,95

Championship Golf $22,95

GFL Football ., $25.95

Gee Bee Air Rally $22.95

Electronic Arts:

Gridiron $26.95

One on One ..,,. $13,95

Weaver Sasebah ..,. $33,95

Retu m to Atlantis .,,.„,. $C ALL
Epyx;

Apshai Trilogy $11,95

Winter Games ,. $22,95

Wortd Games S22,95

Destroyer .„,..... $22.95

Firebird;

Guild of Thieves $25.95

Pawn $25.95

Starglider .„.,.,.. $25.95

MIcroprose:

Silent Sefvice $22,95

Sublogic:

Right Simulator II $31 ,49

Scenery Disk $CALL

Uhtscn World:

Print Master $19,95

Art Gallery 1 or 2 ,.,..,., Si 4,95

Fonts & Borders ,. $17.95

Art Gallefy Fantasy $25.95

IBJC

Access;

WkJ, CI, Leader Board . $27.95

10th Frame .,.,. S27.95

ActlvEslon:

Champ, Baseball $22,95

Champ, Basketball $22.95

Zork Trilogy .„. $39.95

Leather Goddesses $22,95

Beyond Zork „.,. .,„. S27.95

BrodertHjnd:

Ancient Art of War $25.95

Print Shop $32.95

Print Shop Compan, .,„ $31,95
Graphic Ub. ) or II ....... Si 9,95

Ancient Art of War

at Sea $25.95

Camien San Diego

World ,.„..,...,- $22.95

Superbike Challenge .., $11.95

Search and Destroy $9.95

Electronic Arts:

Weaver Baseball ......... $as.95

Starflight $32,95

Yeager's AFT .,.,..,...,... $26.95
Epyx:

ApshaiTritogy , $11.95

Create A Calendar SI 5,95

Destroyer .„. S22.95

St. Sports Basketball ... $22,95
Sub Battle Simulator ... $22.95

Winter Games $11.95

Worid Games $22.95

Rad Warrior $13.95

Spy vs. Spy 111 SI 3.95

Rrvblrd:

StargikJer $25,95

Guild ot Thieves .......... $25,95

Mlcroleogue:

Mtcroleag, Baseball $22.95

Genera! Manager $16.95

Slat Disk $13,95

MIcroprose:

Conflict In Vietnam $22.95

Crusade in Europe ...... $22.95

F-15 Strike Eagle $22.95

Gur»ship $27.95

Pirates $22.95

Origin:

Ultima 111 $22.95

Ultima IV .,.,.„. $33.95

Moebius „. $33,95

Ogre , ., $16.95

Strategic Slmul&tk>ns:
Wizards Crown ,„.,.,„.., $22.95

Phantasie $22.95

Ptrantasie 111 $22,95

Rings ot Zilfin $22.95

Shik>h ., $22.95

Sublogic:

Jet Simulator ., $31.49

Right Simulator „„. $34.95

Timewortcs:

Swiftcalc $39.95

Wordwritar $34.95

Unison Worid:

Art Gallery 2 $14.95

News Master $49.95

Print Master (+) .......... S29,95

Fonts & Borders ,.,. $17.95

Diskettes

5-1 /4

Disk Notcher $5.95

Maxell:

SSDD $7,95

DSDD $8.95

Bonus:

SSDD $5.95

OSDO $6.95

SKC:

DSDD $6.95

DSHD $13,95

Generic DSDD $4.95

Verbatim:

SSDD $8.99

DSDD $11,50

3.5

Maxell:

SSDD $11.50

DSDD .„... $17.95

Bonus:

SSDD S10.9S

DSDD ,.......-,. ..,.„ S13.9S

Verbatim:

SSDD .,.„-„„ S12.9S

DSDD S18.95

SKC:

SSDD $9,95

DSDD $13.99

Generic SSDD $9.75

Generic DSDD $12.95

Joysticks

Tac 3 $9.95

Tac2 $10,95

Tac 5 , - $12,95

Tac 1 + IBM/AP $26,95

Economy .,. $5.95

Slik Stick $6,95

Black Max $10.95

Boss $11.99

3'Way $19,99

Bathandle ..,.„„.„.,. $16.75

Winner 909 .,..,..,.,, $24.95

Wico IBM/AP ,. S29.95

Upstick Plus $14.95

Kraft KC 111 Ap/PC $16.95

Kraft PC Joystick

Card $27.95

Kraft Maze Master $8.95

lipping on Prepaid cash orders over $50 In the Continental US.

Lyco Means Total Service.

Mark "Mac" Bowser,
Sales Manager

I would personally
like to thank all of our
past customers for
helping to make Lyco
Computer one of the
largest mail order
companies and a
leader In the industry.
Also. I would like to
extend my personal
invitation to all computer
enthusiasts who have
not experienced the
services that we provide.
Please call our trained

sales staff at our toll free number to inquire about our

diverse product line and weekly specials.

First and foremost our philosophy is to keep abreast
of the changing market so that we can provide you with
not only factory-fresh merchandise but also the newest
models offered by the manufacturers at the absolute best
possible prices. And we offer the widest selection of
computer hardware, software and accessories.

Feel free to call Lyco if you want to know more about
a particular item. I can't stress enough that our toll-free
number is not just for orders. fVlany companies have a
toll-free number for ordering, but if you just want to ask a
question about a product, you have to make a toll call. Not
at Lyco. Our trained sales staff is knowledgeable about all
the products we stock and is happy to answer any questions
you may have. We will do our best to make sure that the
product you select will fit your application. We also have
Saturday hours — one more reason to call us for all your
computer needs.

Once you've placed your order with Lyco, we don't
forget about you. Our friendly, professional customer
sen/ice representatives will find answers to your questions
. j^ - about the status of an
' -# -4, order, warranties,
} product availability, or

prices.

Lyco Computer
stocks a multimillion
dollar inventory of
factory-fresh
merchandise. Chances
are we have exactly
what you want right in
our warehouse. And that
means you'll get it fast.
In fact, orders are
normally shipped within
24 hours. Free shipping
on prepaid cash orders
over S50, and there is
no deposit required on
-O.D. orders. Air freight or UPS Blue/Red Label shipping is
available, too. And all products carry the full manufacturers'
warranties.

I can't see why anyone would shop anywhere else. Selec-
tion from our huge in-stock inventory, best price, service that
can't be beat — we've got it all here at Lyco Computer.
TO ORDER, CALL TOLL-FREE: 1-800-233-8760
New PA Wats: 1-800-233-8760
Outside Continental US Calf: 1-717-494-1030

Hours: 9AM to 8PM, Mon. - Thurs.
9AM to 6PM, Friday— 10AM to 6PM, Saturday

^^^ For Customer Service, call 1-717-494-1670,

^S^ 9AM to 5PM, Man. • Fri.

IB^H Or write: Lyco Computer, Inc. _

P.O. Box 5088, Jersey Shore, PA 17740

C.O.D, Rlsk-Fr&e Policy: • fjll manufaclurers' warranties • no sales tax
outside PA • prices show 4^i cash discount: adcJ 410 for credit cards • APO,
FPO. internatiorai: add S5 plus 3% for priority • 4-wGek clearance on personal
checks • we check tor credit card theft • sorry, compaiibility not guaranteed •
return authorization required • due to new product guarantee, return restrictions
apply • price availability subject to change • prepaid orders under S50 in
Continental US. add $3.00

Attention Educational Institutions:

^ If you are not currently using our

educational service program, please

call our representatives for details.

AATARI*

Access:

Triple Pack , S11.95

Leader Board Pack Si 4.95

Acttvtslon:

Music studio ............... SI 9.95

Solid GoU VoL#1 ....... SI 0.95

Battsries Included:

Paperclip 80 Col S31.95

Brodeffound:

Print Shop $25.49

Print Shop Compan. .... $22.95

Graphic Ub.l. tl, til $13.49

Bank St. Writer ,. S27.95

Electronic Arts:

Pinball Cof> Set S8.95

Lords of Conquest S8.95

Starfieet I S32.95

Chess Master 2000 $25.95

Musjc Con Set S8.95

Super Boulderdash $8.95

Orw on One S8,95

FIrablfd:

The Pawn .................... $22.95

Mlcroleague:

Microteag. Baseball $22.95

General Manager ........ $16.95

Slat Disk $13.95

■87 Team Disk $13.95

MIcroprose:

Conflict in Vietnam $22.95

F-15 Strike Eagle $19.95

Kennedy Approach ...... $13,95

Silent Service $19.95

Top Gunner $13.95

Strategic Simulations;
Battle of Antetlem ........ $28,95

Phantasie .....,.„..,.....,.. $22.95

Wargame Construe, .... $16.95

Wjzafds Crown ......„.,„ $22.95

Phantasie H $22.95

Shiloh $22.95

Eternal Dagger ..., $22.95

Sublogic:

Flight Simulator II $31.49

riight Mission Pinball ... $18.95

AATARrsr

Access:

Leader Boart $22.95

Toymament#1 ........... S1 1.95

10th Frame $22.95

Actlvlslon:

Champion. Baseball .... $22.95

GFL Football $22.95

Music studio $27.95

GBA Basketball $22.95

Beyond Zork $28.95

Zork Tritogy .,.. $34.95

Broderbund:

Superbike Challenge ... $11.95

Electronic Arts:

Arctic Fox $25.95

Starfieet ) .,.,. $32.95

Chess Master 2000 S25.95

Gridiron S32.95

Marble Madness .......... $23.95

Epyx:

Sub Battle Simulatof .., $22.95

WorkJ Games $22.95

Wfeslling $22.95

Winter Ganres Sll.95

Firebird:

Pawn ,. $25.95

Slargfider $25.95

GoWen Path $25.95

Guild of "mieves .......... $25.95

Tracker $25.95

REVIEWS

conttnuid from pagi 6:5

as , , , well, as a foggy nightmare.

The game truly conveys a dream-
like feeling. Perhaps it's the Onvellian
overtones which derive from the many
animal characters who people the Zone
and with whom you must converse and
interact. Or maybe it's the frustrations
of being placed in somewhat familiar
situations that should be easily solv-
able, only to find that typical solutions
aren't the answer in a dream. You must
literally learn to think differently and be
willing to try bizarre things to solve the
maddening puzzles of the Dream Zone.

While Dream Zone\ puzzles arc
convoluted and complex, the mechanics
of the game are straightforward and sim-
ple. Thanks to the use of the mouse and
a segment of the display titled the Icon
Bar, 80-90 percent of Dream Zone can
be played \vdthout touching the keyboard,
a real boon to hunt-and-peck t\pists.

The Icon Bar contains the inven-
tor)' icon and a list of the most fre-
quently used action words. Clicking on
the word DROR then on one of the
icons in your inventor\' drops that item,
for example. Likewise, clicking on the
action w^ord TALK inserts Talk to . . .
in the Command Line: clicking on a
character displayed in the Picture .Area
inserts the name of the character after
the words. A final click in the Com-
mand Line area activates the instruc-
tions. This techriique can be used in
almost ever>' situation during game
play. The Icon Bar is further enhanced
by the ability to double-click on a word
and thereby change its meaning: A dou-
ble-click on the word HIT, for instance,
changes it to KILL.

Movement about the strange world
of Dream Zone is just as easily accom-
plished. To the right of the large graphic
Picture Area is the Control Pad. The
Pad is made up of directional arrows
surrounding a center button. Clicking
on an arrow moves you in the corre-
sponding direction; clicking on the cen-
ter button results in an ENTER
command, while double-clicking on the
center button results in an EXIT com-
mand. Finally, up and down bars are lo-
cated above and below the Pad itself

Touch typists can take heart, how-
ever, because all commands can be en-
tered into the Command line via the
keyboard. Likewise, all commands that
can be accessed via the top of the screen
pull-down menus (Save, Load, Edit, and
so on) have keyboard equivalents for
those players who don't care for mice.

Dream Zone is a difTicull game.
While this isn't necessarily bad, it
should be considered a fair warning to

70 COMPUTE!

those easily frustrated by seemingly un-
solvable puzzles. There are clues within
the game itself to the majority of the
stumpers found in Dream Zone, but the
clues are subtle at best. Many of them
are discernible only after having found
the solution from a hint book (which
can be purchased separately) or a tele-
phone call to Baudville.

** LoQd Scive Edit Options

!<> On
cotcK

^511sT?il3^l3i??hai=?i3M

hi'i LojtHhiy'^ bedroom, ond goudit it
speciai odornmeriiv. a [ ovishing gir I
e^ you» <*ijt\

i^l-^l.^l^l.el^lAly

Dreams come true, and nightmares
become reality in your quest.

Also, and not to be moralistic, it
should be noted that you will, at times,
be forced to steal and kill to accompUsh
your task. The problem here is that,
unlike killing a monster who is intent
upon dismembering you, in Dream
Zone you kill just to get something that
won't be given to you freely or for mon-
ey. Of course, it is just in a '*dream/'
your gun is a water pistol, and the vic-
tim is (literally) a Bureaucratic Pig.

Dream Zone is a unique product
filled with biting satire, outstanding
graphics, a streamlined playing system,
and challenging situations. It's hard to
believe that the program was written by
two high school juniors. The game
comes on two copy-protected 3 ^/2-inch
disks. Up to ten games can be saved on
the game disk, an option which should
be used.

Dream Zone will be either praised
or damned, depending upon an indi-
viduaPs taste. Aesthetically, no one will
deny the delight provided by Dream
Zone's music or pictures, both of which
push the IlGS to its limits.

— James K Tnmzo

Dream Zone

For . . .

Apple llGS with at least 51 2K— $49.95

From . . .
Baudville

5380 52nd Street SE
Grand Rapids. Ml 49508
(616)698-0888

And . . .

Hint guide and map— $6.00

Print Magic

Epyx has pulled some desktop printing
magic from its software hat. Print Magic
provides Apple users tuxedo-and-bow-
tie-quality performance, producing
either whimsical- or professional-looking
documents with the wave of a magic
wand — er . . . mouse.

With Print Magic up your sleeve
(or in your disk drive), you can produce
customized greeting cards and invita-
tions, award certificates, meeting an-
nouncements, publicity notices, scratch
pads and personalized stationery, and
eye-catching banners. You're limited
only by your inriagi nation.

Print Magic is as fast as your Apple
lets it be. It loads in less than 30 sec-
onds on a He, despite a flip of the disk
after you've made a keyboard/mouse
input choice. The program isn't copy-
protected, so it's easy to make working
copies of the three disks included in the
package: the Startup/ Program disk, the
Graphics/Typefaces disk, and the Holi-
day Graphics disk.

The program employs a Macintosh-
type user interface that is responsive,
easy to learn, and intuitive. Pull-down
menus provide access to many func-
tions. Dialog boxes handle file loading
and saving. Scroll boxes and scroll bars
make file view^ing and loading an easy
task, especially since filenames are al-
ways displayed in alphabetical order, A
clipboard facilitates transfer of graphics
between documents.

Icons are used sparingly and ap-
propriately to represent editing and
drawing tools. Close boxes return you
to the previous screen. A wristwaich
icon reminds you that the current ac-
tion will lake time to complete. Print
Magic also handles mouse input well.

Because it handles the file formats
of other software of its genre, Print
Magic allows you to capitalize on your
existing collection of Print S/iop graph-
ics and Ne^vsroom clip art without hav-
ing to use several different programs to
accomplish what you want.

The package's accompanying
graphics are sensational though limited
in number. Finely crafted and highly
detailed, they can be resized up to the
limit of a standard letter-sized sheet.
Even in the larger sizes they don't have
a chunky appearance.

Text handling is equally impres-
sive. Plenty of dramatic and detailed
typefaces are available in two sizes, and
the several styles provided should satisfy
the most demanding document designer.

uinttnt4til m pag^ 78

Astounding WrMing, Fast!

Why say 'good', when you can say stellar, spfendtd or glorious? Why say 'fast', when you can say meteoric orffash?
Now you can add 220,000 synonyms to your writing and speaking vocabulary and, you can correctly spell over 100,000
words instantly for just $99^. Wow/

By Drew Kaplan

Forget spelling. Forget racking your
brain for just the right word. Now you
can trash your dictionaries and your
thesau ruses by using the new, pocket
size, incredibly easy to use Word Finder.

If you're at all like me, you hate plod-
ding through the pages of cumbersome
dictionaries. And, if you don't know how
to spell a word, it's often hard to find.

Well, imagine instantly scanning the
equivalent of 1,400 BYz" X 11" single
spaced pages of correctly spelled words
and synonyms to pinpoint just the word
you want. Just touch a few buttons.

POtENT

DETERMINED HEARTY

STRIKING

ARDENT ROUGH

DOMINANT

Now we'll never have to use an easy
word we know how to spell, rather than an
eloquent word, to convey our thoughts.
GREAT MINDS

I'm just a simple writer, but William F.
Buckley, Jr, says about this program,
"Your Word Finder has changed my life!
I never used to use a thesaurus."

Well, he probably doesn't need the
100,000 spelling word dictionary, but
when you combine the two, this is the
most useful product I've ever introduced.

When you speak or write, make your
ideas vivid with realism. Let every word
create a graphic image in your reader's
mind. And, make all your points force-
fully. (The words in bold represent 3 of
over 54 synonyms for powerful. Wow!)
SPELLING MADE SIMPLE

I hate dictionaries. Half the words I
look up I had spelled correctly. And the
other half, I can't find. Well, with Word
Finder from SelecTronics, it's simple.

It's incredibly intelligent. First, it's pho-
netic. Type 'FONETIC and you'll get Pho-
netic. Type Ph???tic and it will let you
select phonetic from other possibilities.

If you add a letter, leave out a letter or
even transpose a letter, it can find the
correct spelling of the word you want.

So, let the two microprocessors in
this new productivity tool let your writing
and speaking stand out from the crowd.
HEAD OF THE CLASS

Spelling is the simplest thing Word
Finder can do for you.

Touch Synonym and your speaking and
writing will explode with incredible new
power. You'll have 4H megabytes of $5
$10 and $25 words to let you express
your ideas with exquisite precision.

It may not always be fair, but it's often
how you say something, rather than what
you say, that lets you get ahead. And,
with Word Finder, you'll have incredibly
creative word power at your fingertips.

AVi megabytes is equivalent to about
12K2 5" floppy disks on an IBM® PC.

LUSTY

Yet, the re's n o progra mming.Justtype
in a word and away you go.

You'll always have the right word at
the right time. And, if you're not abso-
lutely sure of a word's meaning, just
check a few of its synonyms.
EASY TO USE

Just type in a word and touch Spell or
Synonym. There's nothing to learn. It's
great at work, at home or at school.

If you'll supply the facts. Word Finder
will supply the most powerful, vivid
words to convey your concepts. And,
unlike dictionaries and thesauruses, it's
easy to use and totally hassle free.

To use the Thesaurus, touch Syno-
nym. When you push the down arrow,
you will see main concept words. Touch
the right arrow and you'll see more words
with the 'same intent*. So, the thesaurus
is logically arranged for ease of use.

Plus, at any time, just re-touch Syn-
onym and you'll start reviewing syno-
nyms of the synonym' that was already
displayed on the large, oversized 20 char-
acter LCD screen. So, there's literally no
end to the words you can explore. It's
fabulous for creative writing.
BOTTOM LINE

While 1 00,000 dictionary words and
220,000 synonyms may sound impres-
sive, other computer based thesaurus
companies count words such as create,
creates, and creating as 3 entries.

Using this method. Word Finder would
have 660,000 synonyms. Why is Word
Finder conservative? Well, when you get
your spelling and thesaurus list from
Xerox Corp and Microlytics, Inc., you
can afford to be understated.

SelecTronics, working with Microly-
tics and Xerox's Palo Alto Research Cen-
ter (PARC), has developed this product's
incredible word compression technology.

It's just 3" X 4" X %". It weighs just 6

FORCEFUL

oz including 4 AAA batteries (included).
It's great for business (thanks to Xerox)
because it has First Names, Surnames,
Corporate Names and Cities.

You'll love it when you play Jumble
(available in most daily papers), cross-
word puzzles. Scrabble* and hangman.

But, most of all, you'll love it for what it
will doforyourvocabulary. It's made and
backed by SelecTronics' limited warranty.

IMPROVE YOUR WORD POWER
RISK FREE

People look down at spelling errors.
People look up to the rare individual
with a rich and varied vocabulary.

If you aren't 10096 thrilled with the
ease of spelling or the wide range of
dramatic words you'll have at your com-
mand, return it in its original box within
30 days to DAK for a courteous refund.

To order your SelecTronics' Word
Finder 1 00,000 Word Spelling Diction-
ary with 220,000 (660,000) Synonym
Thesaurus to effortlessly let you locate
and spell the right word for the right
time correctly, call toll free or send your
check for DAK's breakthrough price of
just$99»*»($4P&H).OrderNo. 6304. CA
res add tax.

Infuse your ideas with powerfully
graphic words. You don't have to sound
like a college scholar to add punch and
panache to your speaking and writing.

You and your children will be amazed
at how a few well sculptured words can
increase the respect people have for
what you're already saying.

DAKi

CillTolt Fr»« Foe

Fro« Foe Cradit C«rid OfdMi On^r
24 Houra A D*v 7 D«v« A WMk

For Toll Free |ntorm«tion. Call 6AM'5PU Mondtv-Friday PST

Technical Information 1-800-272-3200

Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-2866

8200 Rammot Ave., Canoga Park, CAd1304

rg M ^ MJ We've been lucky enough to get another production run of
mL^%^99 9 this incredible equalizer at the same $149 close-out price!

LEFT / FREQUENCY { Hz) /dB 1

31.5 63 125 250 500 Ik 2k 4k 8k 16k

STEREO FREQUENCY EQUAUi

15- ^15- ^15-— ,15-- -15- -15- -15- -is* -15- ^15- -15

— ^— it — : ■

-lO-pS- -10- -10— -10- -10- -10- '

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5- -5- ^-5- r-5* ^5- r-S- i-5- -5- -5
-10- --lO- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10

IS- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -IS- -15- -15

Smart Sound Detonator

Obliterate the wall between you and the individual instruments in yourmusia Infuse your own
stereo system's sound with a breathtakingly vibrant 30 to 50% improvement in sound quality that
you can measure with this superb BSR Equalizer/Spectrum Analyzer limited $149 c/ase-out

By Drew Kaplan

Close your eyes. Touch a button. And
you'll hear your stereo system literally
explode with life.

You'll hear the gentle brushes on a
snare drum, the startling bone-jarring
realism of a thunder clap, or the excite-
ment of a full cymbal crash.

You'll hear string basses and other
deep low instruments emerge from bass
(that will sound murky by comparison),
with such clarity and such definition that
you'll feel you can almost touch each
instrument.

This astoundingly distinct yet power-
ful bass adds such a full bodied warm
feeling to your music, you'll feel as if
you've been lovingly wrapped in a warm
soft blanket on a cold winter's night.

But don't take my word for the sound
quality improvement. With the Pink Noise
Generator, Calibrated Electret Condenser
Mike and the 220 Element Spectrum An-
alyzer, you can instantly measure each
and every improvement you make.

Plus, there's more. A subsonic filter
effectively adds the equivalent of many
watts onto the power of your amplifier.

Plus, with its provision for two sepa-
rate tape decks including two way dub-
bing, you'll have much more than just
greatly improved sound.

You can count on great sound from
this top of the line Equalizer/Analyzer, It
has a frequency response from 5hz to
1 00,000h2 ± 1 db. And, it has an incred-
ible lOOdb signal to noise ratio.

BSR, the ADC equalizer people, make
this super Equalizer/Analyzer and back
it with a 2 year standard limited warran-
ty. Our $149 close-out price is just a
fraction of its true $379 retail value.

FIRST THE EQUALIZER
YOUR STEREO'S HIDDEN SOUNDS

Your stereo can sound incredibly bet-

ter. Just a 5db roll-off at the high end, up
around 1 4,000hz to 1 6,000hz, can just
decimate the harmonics that give you
the open feeling you'd experience at a
live concert. A similar roll-off at 60hz,
causes the fundamental bass notes to
just fade away into the 'murk'.

An equalizer isn't some magical device
that manufactures sounds that don't ex-
ist. Most of the frequencies that will
make your music really vibrant, are actual-
ly already recorded in your music.

You'll be able to prove this with a few
simple tests we'll try when we discuss
the Spectrum Analyzer.

You see, certain frequencies are sim-
ply not reproduced with as much voiume
as are the mid-range frequencies which
stretch from about BOOhz to 2,000hz.

An equalizer simply lets you establish

accurate control of all frequencies to fit

your equipment, your recordings, your

taste, and your listening environment.

TOTAL MUSICAL CONTROL

And, what a job it can do. It's totally
unlike bass and treble controls which
simply boost everything from the mid-
range down for bass, or everything up
for treble. You can boost the low-bass at
31 .5hz, 63hz and/or 1 25hz to animate
specific areas or instruments.

And, when you boost the part of the
bass you like, you don't disturb the mid-
range frequencies and make your favorite
singer sound like he has a sore throat.

The high frequencies really deter-
mine the clarity and brilliance of your
music. The problem is that highs are
very directional. Wherever you move in
your listening room, you'll find a big dif-
ference in high end response, as you'll
see when we test the Analyzer.

No recording engineer or equipment
manufacturer can even begin to control
your listening environment.

You can control the highs at 4,000hz,
8,000h2 and/or 1 6,000h2, to bring crash-
ing cymbals to life at 1 6,000hz while at
the same time you can cut tape hiss or
annoying record scratches at 8,000hz.

But there's more. Don't leave out the
mid-range. You can boost trumpets at
300 to BOOhz or a clarinet at lOOOhz.
You can boost or cut any part of the fre-
quency spectrum a full ±1 5db.
TAPE DECK HEAVEN

You can push a button and transfer all
the equalization power to the inputs of
two tape decks. Now you can pre-equalize
your cassettes as you record them and
get all the dramatically enhanced sound
recorded right on your cassettes.

This is an especially great feature when
you play your cassettes on bass-starved
portables or high-end starved car stereos.

o . o © . o o . ©
0 o o "o ©■'©

SIMPLY PLUG IT IN

Use your tape monitor circuit, but don't
lose it. Now your one tape monitor cir-
cuit lets you connect two tape decks.

Just plug the equalizer into the tape
'in' and 'out' jacks on your receiver or
preamp. We even supply the cables.

As you listen to your records, FM or
any 'Aux', any time you push the tape
monitor switch on your receiver you'll
hear your music jump to life.

Th e output from yo ur rec e ive r is a I ways
fed directly to your tape deck|s) for re-
cording, and with the touch of a button,
you can choose to send equalized or non-
equalized signal to your deck(s).

When you want to listen to a tape
deck, just select which tape deck you
want, turn the switch on the equalizer.

$749 CLOSE-OUT

ER/ SPECTRUM ANALYZER

J— RIGHT/FREQUENCVCHzy/dB" 1

315 63 125 250 500 Ik 2 k 4k 8k 16 k

PtNKNOSE

411 «k t*k m%

15- -ts- -15-t«--1S*'''^-16- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15-

p- „, -10- A-10- J*-'10-— .-10- -10- -10" -10-^^10- ii-10
" 3- -5- -5- -S- Jt-S-^^-S- -5-««t-5- X.-5- -5

SUBSDriiC

DUBBING MOHTTOR

REC souncc 80«jttci

1*>2^ I /2^1 TAPEI^ I /TAPE 2

- — ■ ii— — -

5_ -5„ _5_ _5_ ^5_ „5- »5„ .5« -s-- -5- -5

10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10- -10" -10- -10

15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15- -15

and your tape deck will work exactly as
it did before. Except now you can listen
wfth or without equalization.

Look at this. You can dub tapes from
deckl to deck 2, or from deck 2 to deck
1 with or without equalization.
THE SUBSONIC FILTER

Much of the power drawn from your
amplrfer is used to drive your woofers.
When you drive the amplifier too hard, it
clips and you end up with distortion.

A subsonic filter removes a tot of non-
musical material you can't hear that exists
below 20 hz. So, it relieves your amplifier
of a lot of work. It doesn't actually create
more watts (Please, no letters from my
'technical' friends) for your amplifier.

But its like turning off the air con-
ditioning in your car. It saves you using
about 7 hp of what you have. And there-
fore, you'll have more watts for clean
powerful sounding music.

THE SPECTRUM ANALYZER

Now you can scientifically analyze
your stereo listening room and test your
equipment by using BSR's Real Time
Frequency Spectrum Analyzer.

Plus, you'll see your music not as a
single level on a VU meter, but as a
kaleidoscopic parade of 10 individual
20 element VU meters.

Each is tuned to a specific octave of
the sound spectrum. An eleventh 20 ele-
ment meter averages all levels.

The effect is awesome. You can visual-
ly isolate a string bass or cymbal, and
actually see each individual instrument
almost as a wave moving across the 220
individual florescent elements.
THE MOUTH AND EARS

It talks. The Analyzer speaks with a
voiceofpurecalibrated Pink Noise. Pink
Noise isthe standard composite 'sound'
of all frequencies used for testing in labs
around the world. All frequencies from
20hz to 20,000hz are generated at the
exact same level at the exact same time.

It listens too. If you are testing a cas-
sette or a component in your system,
use the 'Line Button'. If you're testing
your whole system with speakers, use the
matched calibrated electret condenser

microphone (included). Either way, you'll
have a quick, easy and accurate way to
evaluate the total sound of your system.

HOW TO TEST
SPEAKERS, EQUIPMENT AND TAPE
Testing your speakers in your listen-
ing room is the really crucial test Simply
place the calibrated microphone where
you normally sit to listen to your stereo.

At the end of an 1 0 foot cord is the ear of the system.
Just clip the mike wherever you sit and test your room.

Turn on the Pink Noise. You can switch
to Left Channel, Right Channel or both.
There's a meter range button, a sen-
sitivity control, and even a switch that
lets you freeze the meter.

Just sit down at the equalizer. Start
with one channel. You'll see all 1 0 octave
bands on the meter. Just slide the cor-
responding controls to increase or de-
crease any area that needs help.

You have now set up your system to
its maximum capability. But as you'll
see, location is very important Move the
microphone 5 feet to the left or right

Then turn on the Pink Noise and check
the Spectrum Analyzer. Now you can
see why the specifications that come
with your system are only a starting point

Here's a way to test your tape deck
and tape. First record Pink Noise for 3
minutes at -20VU. Then play it back and
note the readings on the meters.

Now, record the Pink Noise again at
OVU or +3. Wait till you see how much
the high end falls off. Now you' II see why
all specifications are listed at -20VU.

With the Equalizer/Analyzer you can
enjoy the finest stereo sound from your
system and be a test lab too.
WHY SO CHEAP

BSR now only sells equalizers under
their ADC name. Well, as Detroit comes
out with new cars each year, ADC comes
out with new equalizers. We got them to
supply us with just 30,000 of last year's

ADC model before they shut it down.

They had already paid for all the tool-
ing, all the research and design, so we
were able to buy these for less than half
the normal price, for cold hard cash.
THE FINAL FACTS

There are 20 slide controls, each with
a bright LED to clearly show its position.
Each control will add or subtract up to
1 5db. (That's a 30db range!)

There are separate sound detonation
slide controls for each channel at31 ,5hz,
63hz, 125h2, 250hz, BOOhz, l,000hz,
2000hz, 4000h2, BOOOhz, and 16,000hz.

BSR backs this top of the line Graphic
Equalizer/Spectrum Analyzer with a 2
year standard limited warranty. It is 1 IVb"
wide, SVz" tall and 8^" deep.

MAKE YOUR MUSIC EXPLODE
RISK FREE

It's startling. Music so vibrant with life
you'll swear it's 3 dimensional. Sculp-
ture your music any way you want it If
you're not 1 00% satisfied for any reason,
simply return it to DAK within 30 days in
its original box for a courteous refund

To order your BSR EQ3000 Smart
Sound Detonator 1 0 Band Graphic Equal-
izer with Real Time Spectrum Analyzer
and Calibrated Mike, with Subsonic Filter
and Two Way Tape Dubbing risk free
with your credit card, call toll free, or
send your check, not for the $379 retail
value. Don't even send the $227.97 dealer
cost Sendjust$149 plus$8 for postage
and handling. Order No. 4100. CA res
add sales tax.

The sound of your stereo will explode
with life as you detonate each frequency
band with new musical life. And, you can
see and measure exactly what yoi/ve done.

DAK

INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED
TOLL-FREE ORDER LINE

For credit card orders call 24 hours & day 7 days a week

CALL TOLL-FREE. . .1-800-325-0800
8200 Rommot Ave.^ Csnoga Park, CA91304

me, but I've stumbled on a national list
of CP/M bulletin boards. And, if you want
to see a sample of what you can get from
these boards, I've created both a ZYi*
disk and cassette with a few samples,
including a banner program, a squeeze
program, a blackjack game and more.

All you really need is The List' of bul-
letin boards and the step by step instruc-
tions. But, if you're lazy or shy about
getting on-line, i have the samples.

Special Note: Wednesday nights on
CompuServe at 11PM Eastern Time,
there's a special Geneva forum where
you can ask questions and discuss soft-
ware for this powerful computer.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

Computing, and for that matter run-
ning DAK, has always been a hobby for
me since I started DAK 22 years ago,
when I was a student at UCLA.

I wantyou to get the most out of your

computer. So, DAK will donate to the
American Cancer Society all proceeds
from the sale of the List, Cassettes or
Disks beyond the costs for printing, disks,
cassettes, duplication, typing, packing
and postage etc.

I've set up a special P.O. BOX for this
service. Send your order with checks
only (no cash or credit cards) to DAK,
P.O. BOX 3046, Canoga Park, CA 91 306.

To order, use the words 'CP/M List'
for $2 ($1 P&H). Order No. 4890. And/
Or choose the 'CP/M Cassette' for $3
($1 P&H). Order No. 4891. Or, the 'CP/M
ZYi' Disk' for $3 ($1 P&H). Order No.
4892. CA res add tax.

Please no phone orders or phone in-
quiries. All information must be handled
through the P.O. BOX. Even if you order
anything else from DAK, these items still
MUST be ordered separately.

^1 & <1 Freebies For You

Use FREE programs to print TO' long banners, pfay blackJacK add spelling to the built-in Wordstar and squeeze files
up to 50% that you're saving to cassette, disk or sending by modem. Let me tell you how.

By Drtw Kaplan " ~ ^""^ * ~"" '^" ~ ""* '""

You've got it all. You can harness the
power of up to 280 electronic bulletin
boards that carry FREE Public Domain
CP/M programs, messages and help.

Add footnotes to Wordstar files, create
mazes, print out 1,000 limericks, lock
disk files, rename files, identify cities
from telephone area codes, and tag files.

You can view text files, count words in
a text file, create word search puzzles
and play games. Whether you already
own an Epson Geneva or any CP/M com-
puter or want to buy one, the Public
Domain software available is awesome.
THE BEST PART

With this computer, you already have
a built-in modem so there's nothing else
to buy. And, because most files are
squeezed, it doesn't take long to down-
load (get) them from the bulletin boards.

You really don't need anything from

WordStar AssauK Team

You'll have full-size word processing and computing power at your desk or anywhere you want to work This 64 K briefcase
portable is ready to sink battleship sized desk PCs, Its armed with MicmPro's powerful WordStar word processing and
Calc Spreadsheet programs plus much more. Add 2 modems, more software and a superb near letter quality prin ter and it's
a $fB68 retail value blasted to $499.

By Drew Kaplan

Attack wasted time. Work where and
when you want. Connected to, or com-
peting with a desk top PC, Epson's por-
table computer is a perfect main compu-
ter or companion to one you have.

And competing with a desk top compu-
ter for most applications, is no idle joke.
Wait till you read about the power and
versatility of this computing system.

And, at only 5 pounds, including its
built-in ni-cad batteries, it fits easily in
your briefcase without filling it up.

So, you can have full word process-
ing, spreadsheet analyses/projections,
telecommunications and computing pow-
er wherever you are, without having to
look for a desk or even an AC plug.

I can't overemphasize what a power-
fill word processing system this is. It's
a perfect MAIN COMPUTER.

NOTE TO WORDSTAR USERS

If you're already one of the estimated
3,000.000 WordStar users, the sample
Help Screens below will be familiar.
Imagine being able to use the program
you already know wherever you are.

And, if you don't use WordStar yet,
with this computer, you'll be joining the
exhaulted ranks of users of one of the
world's most respected programs.

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BACK TO THE COMPUTER

Its full size keyboard is 98.6% the size
of a standard typewriter, so your hands
won't be cramped after hours of typing.

And what's most exciting, is that in-
stead of transferring the work to my PC

when I get home, I like the keyboard on
the Geneva so well that I'm finishing
what I start, right on the Geneva.

Its non-glare, infinitely adjustable, high
resolution, full 80 column, 8 iine LCD
display with full 25 line access, won't
give you eye fatigue.

It has battery backed up memory in the
form of an instant access RAM disk,
which you'll use much like a hard disk.

And, it has infinite capability to store
files through its unique, on- board micro-
cassette drive which functions more like
a floppy disk drive than a cassette drive.

Imagine a microcassette drive with a
file directory and high speed access to
the beginning of the specific file you
want It knows exactly where each file is.

So, whether you're a writer and/or a
company president as I am, or a student
as I once was, this computer will let you
be incredibly more productive.

If you're an accountant, which I'm not,
you can run spreadsheets and models
with the 16,384 cell Calc program.

However, you'll be amazed at how

easy it is to use this spreadsheet pro-

. . .Next Page Please

. , .Geneva Continued
gram and all the things it can do for you.
It comes with a great tutorial.

Plus, there's a scheduler program for
setting up appointments with day by day
calendar screens that you can print out.

Of course, there's a vast reservoir of
programs you can buy or download FOR
FREE from electronic bulletin boards by
using the included modems.

IT GOES WHERE YOU GO

During the day, you can use it at your
desk, in the warehouse or in the field for
work. It's simply great for writing, inven-
tory taking or sales forecasting.

At night, take it home to finish a pro-
ject. Then using its internal modem, you
can study your stock portfolio or log
onto bulletin boards to check the latest
price of gold, the status of your stocks,
play games or download new programs.

And look at this bonus. I've included
a $39 value (we sold it for $24} Compu-
Serve Membership Package, with $25
worth of free on-line time. Most bulletin
boards are free, but CompuServe has
some great things for Genevas.
HOT LINK

You can directly connect this Epson
computer to any IBM PC or Clone or vir-
tually any other computer with a serial
interface and any standard communica-
tion program, simply by using its cable.

You can download (receive) a file from
your desk PC to the Epson to take with
you, or upload (send) a file from the
Epson to your desk PC for your secretary.

In fact, this system is an incredible
replacement for a secretary's typewriter.
Portable WordStar will let you edit, cor-
rect and move paragraphs or sentences.

If you use another program, don't des-
pair. You can still send the file. You'll
just have to use it under the commands
of your program.

ALL THE THINGS YOU'LL GET

Epson's 64K Geneva Computer has a
suggested retail of $995. It is just 1 .87 "
high, 1 1 .58" wide and 8.42" deep. It has
3 CPUs. It has 72 keys. Plus 'Number
Lock', lets you have a standard 10 key
pad for fast entry of numerical data.

You'll have up to 1 0-20 uninterrupted
hours of computing from its internal ni-
cad batteries. Then it will automatically
shut down. Even after battery-low shut-
down, your memory will be protected by
the internal backup battery.

Of course, the AC adaptor/charger is
included. So, you can operate from AC
or DC to suit your needs.

This $995 Computer comes complete
with 4 powerful software programs plus
a group of Utility Programs. The pro-
grams are stored on ROM Chips (see
below) that simply slip into either of 2
sockets on the back of the computer.

Again, like a hard disk, these ROM
chips are fast and load automatically.
You get Portable WordStar, Portable

Calc and Portable Scheduler. Plus, you
get a powerful form of Basic. This sys-
tem can run virtually any CP/M programs.

There are two ports on the back of the
Geneva. One is a serial port for the op-
tional disk drive{s). The other is a fully
programmable RS232 serial port for the
superb printer we have included. Or, you
can use it to communicate with other
computers and external modems.
THE EXTRA 64K FLYING WEDGE

Epson makes a $360 accessory (I've
included) called a Multi-Unit, which gives
you an added 64K RAM disk.

It's a small wedge that attaches to the
bottom of the computer and doesn't in-
crease its footprint on your desk at all.

And there's more. Inside the Multi-
Unit Wedge isthe300baud a u to-a n swe r,
auto-dial. Tone & Pulse Modem. It comes
with a modular phone cable that you
plug into any standard phone jack.

You'll also get Epson's $1 29 acoustic
coupler modem (included). It fits on pay
phone and hotel room handsets.
PRINTER HEAVEN

We've acquired a superb $299 List
Price NLQ (Near Letter Quality) printer
from Seikosha, Epson's sister company.
It can take single sheet plain paper or
letterhead or fan fold computer paper.

And its printing is so good that I think
Near Letter Quality doesn't do it justice.

It's fast, quiet and easy to use. It's AC
powered. Itfeatures Bold, Underline, Con-
densed and Expanded Type capabilities.

THE BEST FREE PART OF ALL

We've written an easy to understand,
step by step instruction book that really
gets you going with this computer.
WHY SO CHEAP?

It's a terrific $ 1 ,968 system. And, that's
just the problem. Epson designed and
built very sophisticated equipment. But
they relied on salespeople to explain
what was needed to consumers.

Many salespeople don't understand
why you need each component.

Enter DAK. Epson was stuck with 67 1 4
computers. We made them a ridiculously
tow offerfor everything. Well, 671 4 com-
puters isn't very much to a company the
size of Epson, so they accepted.

Every Epson Component is backed by
Epson's standard one year limited war-
ranty. And, the printer is backed by Sei-
kosha's 2 year limited warranty.
TH E COMPLETE COMPUTER SYSTEM
RISK FREE

Just imagine working at your desk, on
the patio or in a hotel room, I actually
wrote an ad on a flight from Atlanta to
Boston. I'm 100% sold on this computer.

If you're not 100% satisfied with its
typing or computing or communications
capabilities, simply return it in its original
boxes within 30 days to DAK for a refund.

To order your Epson Geneva 64K por-
table computer complete with Portable

WordStar, Calc, Scheduler, Basic and
CP/M Utilities, On-Board Direct Access
Microcassette Deck, Built-in Ni-Cad Bat-
teries, AC/Charger Adaptor, Extra 64K
RAM Disk Wedge with 300 Baud Modem,
External 300 Baud Acoustic Modem,
Communication Software, NLQ Sheet
and Fanfold Printer, plus Cable and Con-
nectors, forget the suggested retail price
of $1,968. Call toll free or send your
check for DAK's incredible close-out
price of just $499 plus $18 for P&H.
Order Number 461 0. CA res add tax.

OPTION

If you don't need a modem and you're
into writing long novels, we have the
complete system less the modem and
CompuServe package, but with a Wedge
that gives you a 120K RAM Disk (Wow
that's 1 20,000 characters without sav-
ing to cassette or disk!) for just $599
($18 P&H). Order No. 4612.
Note: You can still use an external modem.

For the many people who already own
basic Genevas, you can purchase the
$460 retail, 120K RAM disk for just
$200 ($5 P&H). Order No. 461 3.

OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE

For massive storage we have Epson's
state of the art 3/2" floppy disk drive. It's
rated at 320K. It has internal N i-Cad Bat-
teries and an AC Adaptor/Charger. Ep-
son's retail is $599, plus $19 for the
Cable and $1 7 for the Utility Disk for the
drive. It plugs directly into the Geneva's
serial port and boots automatically. This
$635 value is yours for just $229 ($5
P&H). Order No. 4614.

A box of 1 0 Double Sided Double
Density 320K Floppy Disks is just $34
($1 P&H). Order No. 4615.

High Grade 30 Minute Microcassettes
are just $2« ($0.50 P&H). Order No.
461 6. 60 Minute Microcassettes are just
$3^ ($0.50 P&H). Ord. No. 4617.

The Seikosha printer comes with a
unique long life ribbon (up to IVi million
characters). Extra ribbons are just $7
($1 P&H). Order No. 4618.

You'll receive a list of software that
DAK stocks for the Geneva, including
Ashton-Tate's dBase II, and the step by
step instructions with your computer.

For your desk, your home or for the
great outdoors, now you'll be able to
write, forecast, and compute with mam-
moth power and in real style.

FINAL CLOSE-OUT

NEW BONUS fir OPTIONS

We've gotten a $139 retail value set
of 3 programs on 3 ROMs. Now you can
keep track of your appointments, your
time and your expenses, included FREE.

EXTRA SPECIAL: If you don't need
the printer, you can order the system for
just $369 ($14 P&H). Order No. 4952.
The System with the 12QK RAM disk
without the printer is just $469 ($14
P&H). Order No. 4953. Wow!

^1 Rip-Off s Exposed?

Who says people can 't make money with thetr computers? There are people downloading games, utilities and word pro-
cessing programs for FREE from public bulletin boards, and then selling them to you for $3 to $6. Well, now you can get
thousands of programs for your IBM PC, clone or other computer, mostly for FREE, plus help the American Cancer Society!

By Drew Kaplen

Get free programs yourself! If you own
a computer, this may be the most impor-
tant article you ever read.

Imagine printing 10 foot long ban-
ners, playing dozens of arcade style ac-
tion and adventure video games (no joy-
sticks required), using spreadsheet pro-
grams, typing labels automatically, speed-
ing up the use of your computer and
doing everything, from listing out text
files to making DOS easy.

Well, there are over 2,000 numbers
you can dial right now, and on many of
them you will find hundreds of disks full
of exciting 'Public Domain' software.

These are hobbyist boards. Most of
the System Operators, or SysOps as they
are called, operate these electronic bul-
letin boards for fun.

You can leave messages, people sell
things (not businesses), and there's a
wealth of Public Domain software. Why
is there Public Domain Software?
THE AMERICAN DREAM

Many computer engineers find that
they have special needs and so they
write sophisticated programs.

Since they aren't in business, they
place these programs on bulletin boards
for everyone to use. That way their name
gets known and everyone benefits.

In other cases, programs are develop-
ed at universities or under government
grants where sale is prohibited.

Another class of programs called Free-
ware is released to the public for limited
use. Along with the program is a request
for contributions if you like the program.

It's totally up to you, but if you like the
program and some guy spent 5 months
writing it, usually sending him $10-$25

will get you an expanded version, some
new documentation and his undying love
and gratitude. But it's up to you.

Imagine programs that let you track
your stocks, generate forms, play soli-
taire, golf or sail, make your computer
into a piano (wowl), diagnose the speed
and accuracy of your computer, rename
and re-sort directories and much more.
BUT PEOPLE ARE MAKING MONEY

It's OK to copy these programs for
yourself and you are actually encouraged
to make copies for friends. This way the
software really gets spread around.

But, there's a loophole that allows you
to make and distribute copies and to
Vecover distribution costs'.

Well, now there are companies making
money (by downloading free programs
and selling them to you for $3 to $6) on
the backs of these generous program-
mers who have actually done the work.

So, if you pay $3-$6, is it a rip-off, or is
it still a good deal because the software
is obviously worth many times the price?
It's up to you to decide.

ENTER DAK

OK Martha, here's the catch. No,
there's no catch. You don't have to buy
1 0 tapes or disks. You don't even have to
buy a modem from DAK.

Of course, you'll need a modem, but
you can even borrow a friend's and both
benefit from the great software.

I started DAK as a hobby 22 years ago
when I was a student at UCLA. And, I've
tried to keep it a hobby ever since.

So here's what I'm going to do. I want
you to have all the productivity, and yes
fun, you can with your computer. So Tve
put together two packages so you can
vastly broaden your computer's use.

I have a list of 2,000+ electronic bulle-
tin boards. AND, I've packed a ton of the
great programs from the bulletin boards
for IBMs and clones onto two (2) disks,
to show you a little of what you'll find.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

Unfortunately I can't afford to give you
everything for free, but look at this. I'll
send you the list of 2,000 electronic bul-
letin boards for $2 ($1 P&H). Order No.
4888. And/Or two (2) disks full of pro-
grams for $3 ($1 P&H) for both disks.
Order No. 4889. Ca add tax.

DAK will donate to the American Can-
cer Society all proceeds from the sale of
the List and Disks beyond the cost of
producing and distributing them.

And what's more, the cost of this 'ad'
will NOT be included in my costs. So, the
disks, the duplication, the printing, the
typing, packing and postage etc., will be
subtracted and the rest will be donated.

You ra th» graaiatt Hsre'a the fint ch»ck you mada po*tib\o for
DAK to donate to iha AmBfican Career Sociaiy. And, it onty rap-
r*Mnti youf sfforts (hrough Oecamber. EvBryona wini. Thoutand*
of you ara on-line. The Cancer Sociaty is thrilled and I feet gre*L

VnaENT, BOII«T CliLL BAK

I've set up a special P.O. BOX for this
service. Send your order with checks
only (no cash or credit cards) with the
words ' LIST and/or DISKS' to DAK, P.O.
BOX 3045, Canoga Park, CA 91306.

Please, no phone orders or phone in-
quiries. All information must be handled
through the P.O. BOX, Even if you order
anything elsefrom DAK, these items still
MUST be ordered separately.

Computer Floodgates ON SALE

You 'II be deluged with free programs,
patible 1200 baud auto-answer/auto-

By Drew Kaplan

Get ready. If you're just using your
computer for word prooessing or spread
sheets, boy, have J got a surprise for you!

With a modem, you can dial any of the
thousands of electronic bulletin boards
across the country and download (I'll
explain in a minute) programs that will
literally knock your socks off.

And forget expensive long distance
calls. With thousands of electronic bul-
letin boards, there are likely to be several
right in your own area.

FREE FREE FREE FREE

I just printed out a 10' banner for my
son's birthday. The program prints on
any printer, daisy wheel, dot matrix or
ink jet. Wow, and it was free.

I'm really enjoying three action video
games {without joysticks). In Striker, a
helicopter game, I have to pass through
enemy territory to recover my spies, get
supplies and more. I haven't won yet. In
Beasts, I keep getting eaten, and in Pango,
well, it's arcade action at its best.

I've designed forms using a form pro-

information and incredible entertainment when you connect these Hayes Corn-
dial modems to your computer, at DAK's smashing new $79^ and $69^ prices.

gram. I've compared my Visual Com-
puter's speed to a true PC (100%), and
an AT Clone came in over 600% faster.

If you're like me, whenever you type a
DOS command and make a mistake you
get frustrated.

Well, there's a program that not only
remembers your last few entries, it lets
you use the up arrow to retrieve them
and you can edit them without retyping
the entire line. Greatf

Whatyou're reading about is the won-
derful world of Public Domain Software.
From File Utilities to Diagnostic and De-
Bugging to Multi-Tasking, you'll find thou-
sands of programs to experiment with.
And, you won't be alone. Enclosed with
your modem will be step by step instruc-
tions on how to use the bulletin boards.

So, don't be shy. Get your feet wet.
Once you're on-line, everyone isfriendly
and glad to help.

PHONE LINE BLUES

So, you don't have a spare phone line?
Don't worry. You can use your regular
phone line. You won't hurt it at all.

HAVE I LOST YOU YET?

First, 1 may have hit you with some
'Jargon' that isn't familiar Well have no
fear. Everything will be explained with
your modem, but look at this.

An Electronic Bulletin board is noth-
ing more than a computer, just like yours,
hooked to an auto-answer modem.

Instead of word processing software,
it runs a bulletin board program and has
lots of storage capacity. Simple?

I mentioned downloading. Well, it's
simply like bringing up a program from
your own floppy or hard disk.

All you do is use your modem to con-
nect you to the bulletin board and then
when you download, you're bringing a
file from the bulletin board's hard disk to
your own computer. The distance may
be great, but the principal is identical.

INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE

For stamps, coins, soccer, football,
American Indians, chocolate, coffee,
mortgages, banking, ulcers, steel pro-
duction and more, the information is
. . .Next Page Please

. , .Computer Floodgates Continued
instantly available and often free.
PAY PAY PAY PAY

No, it's not all free. There's lots of
infornnation that you can buy. It's like an
electronic bookstore. And, it's great

When I buy stocks, I want to know
about the company. Now I can get the
inside information instantly by using my
modem. I can get the Company profile,
SEC filings, officers' names and salaries.

So, now I can check out companies
that I do business with or that compete
with me. With a modem, you can instant-
ly read or download complete informa-
tion on over 9,000 public companies.
SO MUCH MORE

If you write, you can send yourcopy by
modem directly to typesetters. Want a
date? There are matchmaking bulletin
boards. What fun. Most of these boards
seem to be free. But, some are X rated.
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL MODEMS

There are two types of modems. In-
ternal modems can be plugged into the
slots of your IBM PC or clone.

External modems can be connected
through the serial port of any computer.

The internal (plugged in) modem is

less expensive because it doesn't require

a separate power supply. The choice is

yours. Operationally they are identical.

MODEM PHYSIOLOGY 1A

I call these modems 1 200 Baud Smart
Ducks. Because, IF they walk like a duck,
sound like a duck, and look like a duck,
they darn well better act like a duck.
And, these Hayes Compatible 1 200 baud
auto-answer/auto-dial, tone/pulse mod-
ems are great ducks.

Hats off to Hayes. They've just about
written the book on specs and protocol
for the 1200 baud modem market.

Every professional modem bills itself
as 'Hayes Compatible'. But the big ques-
tion is, how much does it really cost to
make a top-of-the-line 1200 baud mo-
dem? Or, who's getting rich?

For DAK's new breakthrough prices
of $79^ and $69^, you'll not only be get-
ting ducks that quack properly to Hayes
modems, but sing like nightingales.
DUCK SOUP

I owned a Hayes 1200 baud modem
for about 4 years. I just unplugged it and
plugged in BSR's to operate my Hewlett-
Packard terminal which I use at home to
monitor DAK's computer.

The only differen-
ces I noted were im-
proved monitor sound,
more screen displays
and a help menu. And,
oh yes, one last extra. I
use a few local data
bases whose phone
lines are always busy.

Well, BSR's intelli-
gent modems in com-
bination with our bo-
nus modem programs
recognize busy signals,
hang up and keep re-
trying the number.
1200 BAUD POWER

These modems will
communicate at 1 200
baud (about 1 20 characters per second)
or 300 baud (about 30 characters per
second) automatically.

They come with modular phone cords
thatsimplyconnectto any standard mod-

ular jack. And, they use standard Bell
1 03 and 21 2A protocols. (Don't worry.)
They operate in half or full duplex.

Built-in microprocessors letyou auto-
matically answer incoming (auto-answer)
calls and act on all Hayes commands.
WHYSOCHEAPf

BSR's made modems under both the
ADC and BSR name in the Capetronic fac-
tory. Using three names wasn't very clever

cable Order No. 4353. If you have male
pins sticking out, order our female cable.
Order No. 4354. With either cable you'll
get a great free modem software bonus.

For your Apple IIC, your serial inter-
face is built-in. All you need is our cable
and modem program on disk. They are
just $19^ ($3 P&H). Order No. 4356.

For your Apple IIE, you'll need a serial
interface with an RS232 port, a cable

marketing. And, they are now stuck with
small quantities of each brand.

They have the exact same parts from
the same factory. And, they have the
same 1 year limited warranty. We bought
all three. And, as long as our limited sup-
ply lasts, you can save a bundle.
HOOKING IT UP MADE EASY

The internal modem is IBM compa-
tible. The external modem can be used
with any computer with a serial port.

If you own an IBM PC or a Clone and if
you choose the external modem, you'll
probably find an RS232 serial port built-
in. All you need is our cable and the
modem program on disk, which we've
packaged together for just $19*° ($3
P&H). But, before you order a cable, you
may need a short sex education course.

Sex Education 1 A. You need to deter-
mine whether your computer's RS232
connector is male or female.

If you look at the picture above, youH

note that BSR's RS232 Modem connec-
tor has holes going in. It's a female. If it
had copper pins sticking out, it would be
a male. Now wasn't that simple?

So, if yours is female, order our male

and a modem program. It's all yours for

just $69 ($4 P&H). Order No. 4357.

EVERYTHING YOU'LL NEED

1200 BAUD SMART DUCK

RISK FREE

For business or pleasure, you'll com-
municate, gather information and save
time. If you aren't 1 00% satisfied, simply
return it in its original box to DAK within
30 days for a courteous refund.

To Order Your BSR/ADC/Capetronic
External1200 Baud Intelligent Auto-
Answer, Auto-Dial Modem risk free with
your credit card, call toll free or send
your check for DAK's market busting
price of just $79^ plus $6 P&H. Order
No. 4955. CA res add tax.

To Order Your BSR/ADC/Capetronic
Internal 1 200 Baud Intelligent Auto-An-
swer, Auto-Dial Modem with bonus mo-
dem software risk free with your credit
card, call toll free or send your checkfor
DAK's market busting price of just $69**
plus $6 P&H. Order No. 4951 .

It is said that knowledge is king. With
the information you can acquire through
a modem, you'll have the informational
power of 1 0 kings. And, you'll have a full
range of entertainment thrown in.

Hayes, ISM, and Appte HE & IIC are registered trademarks of
Kav«£ Microcomputer Products, International Business Machines
and Apple Computer,

PRICE SLASHED

The External Modem was $169
DAK stashed ft to $f19^''

Now you can have your choice of an external or inter-
nal modern. You'll have EVERYTHING you'll need to
get on-line as soon as it (and cables with the gxterna!
modem) arrives. Wow, all for just $79^0 or $6B^.
THE EXTERNAL MODEM

NOW JUST $79^0

Use Order No. 4955 plus ($6 PaH)

THE INTERNAL MODEM

NOW JUST $69^0

Use Order No. 4951 plus ($6 Pa-H)

INDVSflllES
INC.

Call toll Fra a For Credit Card Orders Only
24 Hours A Day 7 Oaya A Week

l-800-3t5-»800

For Toll Fras Information, Call 6AM-5PM Monday*Friday PST

Technical information 1-800-272-3200

Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-2866

8200 R emmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

REVIEWS

continued frvm page 70

My favorite Print Magic feature is
its complete flexibility for placement of
graphics and text. It is difficult, however,
to obtain pixel-level positioning of text
on the page. At this level, positioning
becomes a trial-and-error proposition at
best, since the entire page is nearly al-
ways displayed during text entry.

You should read at least the first
six pages of the documentation. They
cover Print Magic's usage of certain
icons found in other software but used
in a particular manner by this program.
Some terms are defined in rather specif-
ic ways, but the rest of the program
should be intuitive to all but the com-
puter novice. Some users prefer to
plunge into a program and come back
to the manual for assistance. If that*s
the way you like to operate, then Print
Magic's manual was designed with you
in mind.

A 30-minute tutorial leads you
through the production of a one-page
Christmas party announcement which
contains one of Print Magic's best
graphics. Other developers take note: A
simple tutorial is worth many pages of
detailed documentation.

Print Magic provides solutions to
nearly every drawback you've encoun-
tered with other printing programs,
while maintaining communication with
them. With its ease of use, intuitive in-
terface, exquisite graphics and text, and
superior documentation. Print Magic
delivers a fine performance,

— Duncan Teagiie

Print Magic

For . . .

Apple Me n28K. SO-cdumn card), lie,
llGS^$59.95

From ...

Epyx

600 Galveston Dr.

Redwood City, CA 94063

(415)366-0606

And . . .

IBM version to be released this year-
$59.95

Gee Bee Air
Rally

It's no wonder flight simulations are
among the most popular of all com-
puter games. There's something irresist-
ible about flying. For most of us,
though, a home computer is as close
we'll get to the real thing.

Gee Bee Air Rally drops you into a
1930's barnstorming stunt plane— the
Gee Bee. With stubby wings, powerful
engine, and huge fuel tanks, the Gee
Bee was built for speed. In Gee Bee Air
Rally, you don't fly from one airport to
another, you race several other Gee
Bees for fame and glory.

Are you pilot enough for the Gee Bee?

In format. Gee Bee Air Rally is
similar to Pole Position, the archetypi-
cal arcade racing game. Just as in that
game, you dodge your opponents as
you pass them. But Gee Bee improves
on the racing game form by adding a
new physical dimension — not only can
you pass your opponents on the left or
the right, but you also can pass from
above or below.

The game offers three levels of
play, each divided into separate events.
Normally, you try to fly between the
markers that delineate the course. At
the end of each level, however, are Spe-
cial Events in which you pop balloons
or slalom around markers.

All planes (yours and those of your
competitors) bank realistically around
turns. As a matter of fact, the game is so
realistic thai you'll feel like you're on a
roller coaster. When you dive, you speed
up; when you climb, you slow down.

Gee Bt'e's joystick controls are easy
to learn and master. Control of the
plane is responsive and accurate. Peo-
ple who normally dislike computer
games might have fun playing this one,
while arcade pros will be satisfied with
the maneuvering subtleties needed to
play the game at the highest level.

There are three levels of difTicully,
but the two highest levels are too easy.
After just a few games, I was able to
play well past my boredom threshold
(currently about 45 minutes). I'd like to
see a second level like the current third
level, and a third level that's significant-
ly more difficult.

Sound is an important element in
this game. In fact, the only obvious way
to hear whether you're in low gear or

high gear is to listen to the engine.

On some computers. Gee Bee's
sound is even more impressive. If you
haven^t yet hooked your ,Amiga to your
stereo, you'll want to hook it up for Gee
Bee Air Rally. Every sound effect is
available in stereo. When a plane roars
by on your right, you'll hear the sound
from the right speaker. Not only does
this make the game more ftm, it actual-
ly makes it play betier^ — you can hear
from which side a plane is approaching
before you see it. Gee Bee Air Rally also
has perhaps the best theme music of
any game yet developed for the
Amiga — another reason to connect
your computer to a stereo.

Although not as spectacular as the
sound, the graphics are also wonderful.
The planes, mountains, and scenery are
nicely drawn. Each airplane casts a
shadow on the ground. The farther
away a plane is, the smaller it is. In
short, this game has all the visual cues
needed to make it seem real.

There are also, however, graphics
that are annoyingly intrusive. For in-
stance, every time you crash and bail
out of your plane, you're punished by a
screen showing where you landed.
While these scenes are nicely drawn,
they tend to get tedious. Even worse,
these screens aren't in memory, they're
on disk, Td like the option of switching
these screens off.

Compounding the problem is the
Amiga Gee Bee's copy-protection
(which makes a particularly frightening
grinding sound). This protection keeps
you from copying the program onto a
hard drive or the ramdisk. If you have
expansion memory and a disk cache
program like Face II, you can set aside
enough buffers so that each scene only
has to load once.

While the sound, music, and
graphics are truly impressive, those
qualities don't make a game, they only
enhance it. For any game, the game
play is what keeps you away or keeps
you coming back.

Gee Bee Air Rally is worthy of re-
peated play.

— Rhett Anderson

Gee Bee Air Rally

For . . .

Amiga— $39,95
Commodore 64/1 28— S29.95

From . . .

Activision

2350 Bayshore Frontage Rd.

Mountain View, CA 94043

{415)960-0518

COMPUTE!

REVIEWS

Quattro

For half the price of Lotus's 1-2-3, Bor-
land Internationars Qiiattro delivers
more spreadsheet power, flexibility,
and ease of use.

Quaitro has its own unique set of
commands for performing basic spread-
sheet manipulations. However, the
package includes an add-in program
called Menu Builder which makes it
simple to rewrite or rearrange the
menus. These menu definitions may be
loaded from disk. The program's 1-2-3
compatibility, therefore, comes from
loading a special menu tree.

Quattro allows tw^o menu trees — a
main and an alternate — to be loaded
into memory at once. These menus
may be set as defaults which are auto-
matically invoked, so it's not necessary
to specify which menu tree you want
each time you run the program. Quattro
contains everything a 1-2-3 user (or be-
ginner) needs to use a full Release
2-compatible spreadsheet, but provides
much more for the user who is willing
to investigate and experiment.

The program is full of nice touches.
It uses, for example, '"smart" recalcula-
tion to reduce delays. (This means that,
rather than recalculate the entire
spreadsheet when one formula needs to
be recomputed, Quattro updates only
the relevant formulas.)

Quattro also includes several help-
ful file-handling features, including the
file-compression utility SQZ! Plus.
Rather than calling the compression
routine, you simply supply the correct
filename extension and SQZ! compresses
the file in the proper format.

Of course, Quaitro can handle
dBASE and Reflex file formats, but
even more interesting is its ability to
handle Paradox files. Borland is clearly
making its move on the dBASE/ 1-2-3
market, and providing a database and
spreadsheet combination as powerful
and usable as Paradox and Quattro
could make Borland an even bigger
force in PC-compatible software.

Knoihtv of Quattro' s common-
sense features solves the problem of
bringing word processor documents in
as spreadsheet data. Many people use
word processors to keep simple data-
bases before they even have access to a
spreadsheet or database program. Even-
tually, that simple list of names and
numbers can get unruly. When Quattro
imports a text file, each line is interpret-
ed as a long label, even though it may,
for example, contain a name, address,
phone number, and salary. Quattro" s

File Parse menu provides an easy way to
separate the elements of each line into
individual cells. Simply create a formal
line that indicates where breaks should
occur and what data types are expected.
.A.fter you've defined input and output
ranges and executed the command,
Quattro transfers the text data to the
output range in its proper form.

One nasty WordPerfect file (which
was extremely wide and had been print-
ed to a DOS text file) contained lines
which were too long for 1-2-3 to import.
Quattro was able to import the file, and
the parsing command made it easy to
place the individual data elements in
the proper fields. Even in an office
where 1-2-3 is firmly entrenched, this
trick is worth the price of Quattro.

PRODUCT SALES

All Divisions

im iJtT in* ii« iwe "

Quattro's integrated graphing abilities let
you forgo stand-alone print graph software.

Those who have ping-ponged be-
tween 1-2-3 and Print Graph will instantly
appreciate Quattro s integrated graphing
facility. Not only is the graphing feature
easier to use. but it offers much more
control over the look of the final product,
even though it still falls short of provid-
ing total control and flexibility.

Quattro supports numerous print-
ers and plotters, produces crisp graphs
on laser printers — including PostScript
devices — and will save graphs to disk in
Lotus PIC file format or as Encapsulat-
ed PostScript. Quattro supports many
graphics standards, including Hercules,
CGA, EGA, and VGA.

Macro jockeys will be glad to lose
some of their chains, since with Quattro
the 27-macro limit is not in effect.
Quattro makes creating macros easier
by providing a built-in macro-recording
feature that is easy to use and effective.
To assist with macro testing and editing,
Quattro provides a macro-debugging
environment.

1-2-3 macros run in Quattro as
long as the proper menu is in use. It is
possible, for example, to use the Quattro
main menu, then switch to the
1 2 3.. ALT menu to run 1-2-3 macros, re-

cmiitmied on page 82

Advertisers Index

Reader Service Number/Advertiser

102 Air Force

103 The Avalon Hill Game Company .

104 ComputAbility

105 Computer Direct

1 06 Computer Mail Order

DAK , ,

DAK

DAK . .

DAK

111 Electronic Arts

112 Electronic Arts

113 Electronic Arts

114 Free Spirit Software. Inc.

Halix Institute

The Heron Corporation

115 Indus-Tool

116 Lyco Computer

117 Micro World Electronix

118 Midwest Computer Camp

119 Montgomery Grant . . .

120 Near Future Computers

NRI Schools

Parsons Tachnoiogy ..........

121 PC Enterpnses . . . .

122 Precision Data Products

123 Rainbird

124 Renco Computer Supply

1 25 Software Discounters of America

126 Spinnaker

127 subUOGIC Corporation

128 TEVEX

129 Video Technology, Inc

130 Yamaha International Corporation

Page

.... 1
. . . 23
.80-81
.88-89
.18-19
... 71
.72-73
.74-75
.76-77
. (FC-I
...28
...30
...83
. .. 82
...82
...82
. 66-69
... 90
...83
...85
. . . 83
. . . 35
...63
...80
...83
.. !BC
... 83
...93
....5
....8
... 80
...21
...BC

Classified Ads 84

MAIL TO:

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P.O. Box 10955, Des Moines, lA 50340-0955

Change of Address; Please advise as early as
possible, Attach label with your old address and
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please write a note and send entire form to the
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MAY 1988 79

Tevex Computer Software
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Second & third disk drives which snap on top
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ROM's which make your display easier to read
Upgrades which expand 128K sidecars to 512K
Speed up & pseudo DMA cartridges
Clock modules, printer ports & speech attachments
Joysticks, optical mice & light pens
Adapters to use your PCjr monitor with a PC
Switching boxes for monitors and/or serial devices
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Basic manuals & also Cartridge Basic
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Write to us or call our toil free number to
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B/Graph

Ap 25.95
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Bards Tale I

Am 31 .95 GS 31 .95
Ap 28.95 PC 31 .95
C64 25.95 ST 3 1.95

Bards Tale 11

Am 31,95 GS 31.95
Ap 31.95 PC 31 .95
CM 25.95 ST 31.95

Chuck Yeai*er*s
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Demon
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C64 19.95

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C64 18.95

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Am 31.95
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PC 64.95

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Ap 14.95 C&t 14.95
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Am 31.95 GS 31.95
C64 19.95PC 25.95

In.'itant Pages

PC 31.95

Intellitype

Am 31.95

IS Talk

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ST 31.95

Legacy of the
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Ap 25.95
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C(A 19,95 ST 22 95

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Patton vs.
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PC 25,95

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World Tour
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GS 25.95 PC 31,95
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Am= Amiga
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AKseFsw 21, 9b

AftGtJfflr^i sf II .„.,._. ia,»5

QaisnoB of Pmrar ......„.., 3195

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ttBC* CfcKSfon .,„„-_.„„_„.,. 25 »5
Okk Jaot Acaoamy ,h„,„.^.^ 24,^$

BdfiM WkviM ...,.._ ig 65

asiOirZflni „„ _„.„J5r.B5

Dr«cn ™. ..... 2S,B5

BfidOB S.U ,_.„._,._,„.„,„ ift.ta

BLimp«r Stdtar Mmw .„.,.., 3SJS
Buitrwn Cvd bkMr „.,....„ 3e.DS
^rOALCBCy ..._.„. ,„.-..,^.^.., ?5.fl5
CttitoTia GvTwi .,-...H,.,-. 25 B5

CwTipnyrju^i Coif, 2&,B5

Ctiimpionjflp Baa*Miii 2S,9S

OwMTT.rtr 2D00 ,„,„_ 2S(S

Cnuot Yai^r AdvFS ...... .^ Tfi fl^

OipAfl... . ...CALL

0*k Cffiila .„_.- ...., ?* 9S

Doto'KJ*' t>\ It* Cramti - i*.ii

Daitoy»f.,„.„ ...MBS

Esrt WMMrBaHbri ..,-.,.. 2e.as

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F15 SUA* E^»fl -.....,.. 21 .B5

F«ton .-„ ..„.„.„..„,„.,^, 31 .B5

FiiflfnSimjBajt ... .,„33B5

S(*n#rT |>il(i ...,..., l?Bb

CnACMmaUttiMlbtHl 75. Bb

GfLFpsumll . 25 »5

Grana SiBfn t^cgia ...30.95

Gi>iO Df Travel ......,_...... ^.05

Giyiif^p ,.„„.„.„,.„, -,„,H^-„ 30.85

Ha/aaaB > ...„ 24.fl5

HEhrtwn Uictt ,,„,..„„^.„ 1B.0S

Mai Snot -...,„.^....G7.aS

Kirt For Rad OclBtW , .... 33,9S

Indoof Spora . 19.(S

J«l - 34.QS

Kngi Ouoil 1.? Dr3 ..,. . 30 B5

Land ct l^««i» ..,^ „„ J?.9b

Laicrw GoiSdiiii .,-^.^. „ 2S.BS

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Marwr Co aw „,„,„„,„., , H,BS

MofaatAuanait ,^ „,.„,„„, „,_,.. 25.B&

Wsan IB ^ , . SO-BS

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Gao Dai 129 „_„-„,„-,-.- *4.95

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REVIEWS

continued from page 79

turning when finished.

In addition to having the niacro-
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DAVID STANTON

Computers in

Schools Are

Living Up to

the Promises

IVIade Years

Ago, So Don't

Despair or

Give Up the

Faith Yet

In the laic 1970s, they told us that com-
puters al school would revolutionize
education. We bought a 1 6K PET here, an
Apple II there, and awaited the revolution.

We expected miracles in those innocent
days. We got PacMan and Parsec instead.
Not that arcade-style games are devoid of
educational value. Conquering each new
screen requires imagination, analysis,
problem-solving skills, and manual dexter-
ity. But no researcher has yet proven a cor-
relation between Donkey Kong scores and
educational achievement.

In those days, supporters of computer
education needed tough skins. We taught
BASIC without knowing exactly why, and
we argued for computer literacy without un-
derstanding what it meant. SiilK we shared a
vague sense that somehow computers were or
would become important educational tools.

Skeptics tolerated us much as we all
live with an occasional head cold. If micros
established a foothold, teachers and parents
who found them intimidating would be
forced to master them. Under such condi-
tions, who could blame those who desper-
ately wished the things would just go away?

"Whereas the evidence that computers
had even a minimal effect on educational
performance?" they challenged. We mum-
bled something about too few machines, loo
little time to assimilate the technology, and
ineffective software.

Accepting our arguments, education
agencies began supporting the computer
movement with generous (if not lavish) in-
fusions of funds for software, equipment,
and training. They called our bluff.

Fortunately for all concerned, the re-
suhs have been dramatic. Increasing num-
bers of teachers are now computer literate
(whatever that means), and software compa-
nies currently offer some very well-designed
educational packages for home and school
An in-school ratio of roughly 20 students
per microcomputer leaves room for signifi-
cant improvement, but it represents mil-
lions of dollars — no small commitment.

Clearly, the time has come for education-
al computing to prove its worth both in
schools and at home, and there's ever\^ reason
to believe that the results wM be dramatic.

Already students are discovering the
benefits of word-processing software and are
learning to enjoy the writing process. Pro-
gressive parents and teachers are employing
specialized hardware and software to pro-
vide educational assistance for the handi-

capped. Carefully selected drill-and-practice
and tutorial programs are helping some catch
up while allowing others to move ahead.

Increasingly, yesterday's promises are
becoming today's realities. Currently, com-
puters and quality software are helping us
learn more, understand better, progress fast-
er, and explore new ideas.

Even with all this, though, we've only
seen the beginning. The outlook for the future
looks even more promising. To overestimate
the potential benefits of computers in educa-
tion is virtually impossible. Yet we must re-
member that the technology itself offers no
magic solutions. As \v\i\\ other tools, we can
use computers effectively only when we fully
understand what they can and cannot do.

Computers alone cannot motivate, but
in the right hands they can make learning so
much fun that even the least motivated stu-
dents will seek out opportunities to learn.
Computers cannot actually teach, but when
teamed with carefully selected software they
can — and do — offer unlimited opportuni-
ties for learning.

How can we motivate our children to
use their computers? Which software be-
longs at home and which at school? How
can a home computer improve a child's suc-
cess in class? What do computers do wclK
and what is best handled by more tradition-
al approaches? What is your local school do-
ing right (or wrong) with its computers?

Every month, this column will grapple
with these and similar questions. I expect to
prod (perhaps even provoke) you with a mix
of fact and opinion about the scope and di-
rection of educational computing. I promise
to strive to keep you up-to-date on the
newest and best ideas and products in the
field. I can't promise to be right always, but 1
can promise to read the mail.

What can you do? Insist on reading spe*
cific, practical suggestions here evcr\'
month. Implement those recommendations
thai offer the greatest reward for you and
your family. Be patient, but expect to see
real and meaningful benefits.

So whether you're just thinking about
buying a home computer or you use one ev-
er\' day. stick around. If your micro sits
gathering dust in the closet (having failed to
live up to your expectations), dig it out and
hook it up. H

David Stanton can be contacted via CompuServe
(72407,102) or by mail at P.O. Box 494, Bolivar,
New York 14715.

COMPUTE

-fmm&notes

cont'intitd from page 7

It's All in the Game

They're back. ..

Dedicaied videogame ma-
chines, and the cartridge-based
software they support, cele-
brated a stunning return to
form — and profit — in 1987.

According to industry'
sources, the videogame hard-
ware market alone grew from
approximately $ 1 00 million in
1986 to over $700 million last
year. Such figures may even be
conservative: Nintendo, by far
the industry' leader, claims 1987
sales in excess of $650 million.
The Christmas season alone
saw sales of 3 million Nintendo
game units.

In some ways, it's easy to
understand the soaring sales
figures. For one thing, video-
game systems are less expen-
sive than computers. For
another, Nintendo advertises.
Hard. Taking advantage of ce-
lebrity endorsers, and appeal-
ing to the 8- to 12-year-old
market, the company has pep-
pered TV with spots citing out-
standing arcade action and
edge-of-ihe-seat excitement.

Computer advertise-
ments, on the other hand, aim
almost exclusiveiy at adults,
pushing productivity, profiis.
and performance. Hardly the
stuff to make Junior lobby
mom and dad for a PC under
the tree.

Last winter, though, Com-
modore returned to TV
with a series of ads
for the 64 that touted
superior playabilhy,
while also noting
I he variety of

Sharing the spotlight with
Nintendo — or peeping out from
under ihat giant's shadow — are
Sega, now a division of Tonka,
and old familiar .-Xtari. which
claims more than 2 million XE
game systems sold in 1987,

Nor are the registers
through ringing when the unit
is sold. The cartridge market is
estimated now at over V4 billion
dollars annually, and still
growing.

Naturally, such sales
surges arc altraciing some at-
tention within the entenain-
ment software industry. Those
Ninlendos, Segas, and Ataris
may not all represent lost com-
puter sales, but it's a sure bet
that some of them do. This is
despite the deeper and more
sophisticated gameplay offered
by microcomputers.

alternatives that a
computer makes possible. Oth-
er computer manufacturers are
also beginning to cite enter-
tainment as a benefit of own-
ing a computer.

Software publishers are
also responding to the Ninten-
do/Sega challenge. For one
thing, 1988 will see more, and
more dynamic, arcade-style
games released for microcom-
puters than in any recent year.
Some of these games are di-
rectly imported from the coin-
op and cartridge worlds; others
are wholly original.

The publishers are also
picking up some extra profits
by licensing computer games
for translation to arcade
machines.

Looming over all of the
interplay are memories of the
videogame collapse of the ear-
ly 1980s. At the time, .Atari
was in the driver's seal: The

crash nearly brought Atari

down, and didn't work won-
ders for its then-parent Warner
Comunications, either. There
was, to be sure, a simultaneous
crash in the computer and soft-
ware market, but observers
have noted that the software
crash was neither so severe nor
so long-lasting as the collapse
ofthe game cartridge.

The feeling now is that
game cartridges are probably a
cyclical market, one that will
come and go ever>' few years as
new crops of children age into
and then out of the Nintendo/
Sega/Atari spell.

Computers, on the other
hand, tend to grow with their
users, as does entertainment
software. Once a child out-
grows videogames, the game
machines tend to find their way
into closets. Outgrowing arcade
software, though, opens the
other areas of computer enter-
tainment. And when entertain-
ment pales, there's education,
productivity, creativity. , .
which is why computer soft-
ware pubhshers, while not un-
mindful of the game machines*
renewed growth, are not terri-
fied of it, either.

— Keith Ferreli

The Medium and the Message

Ford Motor Company and
Time Magazine are among a
growing number of companies
mixing their media to gel their
message across: Computer
disks that complement their
products can also serve as
marketing tools.

Time's .\e\vsQuest is a
weekly quiz-on-a-disk based
on the current issue of the
news magazine. Educators
who take pan in the Time
Education Program, a maga-
zine educational service for
schools, can use the disk as a
supplement to reading, histo-
r\; political science, and relat-
ed curricula. Offered in Apple
II and IBM tor mats, the Ne^vs-
Quesi disk contains a current
events quiz based on the arti-
cles in that week's issue of
Time, as well as ten levels of
other test materials. Time is
even sponsoring a national
competition for $ 10,000 in
scholarships for the school
with the highest cumulative
scores througjiout the year.

A minimum 30- week sub-
scription to the 5 '/4-inch disk
format is $89 plus $ 1 6 postage
and handling. In 3V2-inch for-
mat, the price is $ 109 plus the
same postage and handling fee.
The disks arrive weekly by
first-class mail. For more infor-
mation, call 1-800-523-8727.
(In Pennsylvania, call 1-800-
637-8509.)

Ford Motor Company
puts you in the driver's seat
with the Ford Simulator, a
$4.95 software package that
contains information about
the company's products as well
as a colorful racing simulation
game with drag strip, slalom,
and Grand Prix courses. It's
available for any IBM PC or
compatible with 256K of
memory and color graphics
capability.

The simulator features an-
imated screens that show off
everything from how air bags
infiate and how cars cut
through the wind to the way an
engine runs. A buyer's guide
section on the disk has infor-
mation on five different Ford
vehicles. You can configure
each car with various options,
calculate the sticker price and
installment payments, and even
compute financing costs. The
lest track portion of the disk fea-
tures three racing games.

Ford Simidator is avail-
able by check or money order
for $4.95 from The Ford Simu-
lator, 14310 Hamilton Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
48203. Or, you can call toll-fi-ee
and order the disk with VISA or
MasterCard at I -80O52 1 -3350,
extension 300 (Monday- Friday
8:30a.m.-8:O0p.m. EST). In
Michigan, call 1-800482-5507,
extension 300.

— Seiby Bateman

MAY 1988 87

C^INAF»UTER DIRE

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-news^notes

Soft$oap Software

Tandy Corporation, maker of
Tandy and Radio Shack com-
puters, has signed an agreement
with Am way Corpora lion, sell-
er of household items, wherein
registered Am way distribuiors
are given discounts on Tandy
computers. Am way product
distribuiors will need the ma-
chines 10 run Am\vari\ special
Am way software intended to
help the \ million distributors
of Amway products with paper-
work and organization.

According to Bob Vis.
Anmare Project Manager, the
software, which Amway sells
for $ 1 99, contains several
modules, including accounting
and telecommunications, the
latter allowing .Amway agents
to automate their ordering pro-
cess by having their PCs com-
municate directly with
Am way's computer With Am-
way now selling over 300

products, including its name-
making soap as well as such
unlikely items as MCI long-
distance telephone service and
home security devices, Am-
\mrc may also ease the burden
of inventor^' tracking for its
distributors.

Amware is being licensed
by .^mway from Internomics,
a small California firm that
spent over four years develop-
ing the software, which is spe-
cialty geared to managing a
multilevel selling agent's
business.

By offering them dis-
counts of 5 to 15 percent on
computers, Tandy dealers are
no doubt eager to get as many
of .Am way's independent dis-
tributors through its doors as
possible. Amway. which scored
o\'crSl.5 billion in retail sales
last year, also gets a percentage
of each computer sold.

~ Clifton Karnes

RAM Through the Roof

February saw RAM prices
nearly triple in less than three
weeks. Prices for a megabyte of
256K-bit chips had been
around $ 1 00, but a combina-
tion of the weak U.S. dollar
and speculation by Eastern
businessmen caused prices to
skyrocket to $300 and above.

"The supply of RAM has
been dwindling for about a
year," says Jack Coakley. of
R.AM Explosion, a Fairfax,
Virginia company specializing
in mcmor\' expansion hard-
ware,"and prices have been
rising slightly, but Januarv' and
Februar>' were unbelievable.''
R.AM supplies have been low-
ered simply because suppliers
can't seem to keep pace with
the personal computer indus-
tr\''s ever-increasing demand
for more memor\'.

In Japanese markets, chips
aren*t being sold at a fixed

price: they're being auctioned

to the highest bidder, 'if youVe
a gamblerj' concludes Coakiey,
"sell your pork bellies and in-
vest in dynamic RAM."

In a related stor\'. Lotus,
Intel, and Microsoft have an-
nounced a new Expanded
Memor>' Specification (EMS
4.0) that allows owners of IBM
PCs, XTs. and compatibles to
access up to 32 megabytes of
expanded memor>'. Makers of
expanded memor>' boards,
such as AST, Boca ram, and
Quadram, are working to create
the EMS 4.0 software drivers
for their expansion units. The
first of these should be appear-
ing by the time you read this.

The question is, will PC
users be able to afford the extra
memor) the new EMS makes
it possible to use?

— Cfiffon Karnes

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-mm&notes

MacBiomorphs Are Coming!

Creating life in the lab is noth-
ing startling these days.
Whether it's cellular cloning or
lest-tube babies, scientists are
exploring a wide range of alter-
native lifestyles. Add to their
ranks now a growing number
of evolutionary biologists, bio-
chemists, and zoologists, ail
who are beginning to use the
computer to mimic evolution
by creating artificial life.

Thanks to renowned biol-
ogist Dr. Richard Dawkins of
Oxford University, Macintosh
owners can take part in such
evolutionary experiments
without leaving their own era.
Dawkins' critically acclaimed
1986 book. The Blind Watch-
maker Why the Evidence of
Evoluiion Reveals a Universe
Without Design, is now a
$7.95 paperback available with
an optional Macintosh disk
from VV, W. Norton & Compa-
ny. With the software, pur-
chased separately from W. W.

Mill

Reproduce this Holy Grail bio-
morph and win $1,000 in The
Blind Watchmaker contest.

Norton, you can breed endless
successions oibiomorphs^
Dawkins' computer creations
that can look vaguely like
trees, animals, objects, and
whatever else ihey evolve into
over many generations.

There's even a $ 1 .000
prize for anyone who can find
the genetic key to create a par-
ticular Holy Grail-like bio-
morph whose formula was lost
after it evolved. The book,
which has been hailed as one
of the most important science
books of this ceniurv; is fasci-
nating, exceptionally well writ-
ten, and highly recommended.
The Macintosh disk was creat-
ed by Dawkins himself after he
received many requests for
such a program from readers
of the hardback edition. The
program requires a minimum
of 512K to run and costs $9.95
plus $ 1 .00 postage and han-
dling. Details on ordering the
disk are in the paperback edi-
tion of the book, available at
most bookstores.

— Seiby Bateman

PCs Linked in

Telemarketing

Scandal

If il sounds too good to be
true, maybe il is.

Atlanta, Georgia entrepre-
neur James Ray Houston is
connected with two companies
being investigated for operat-
ing a nationwide trivia game
involving PC users. Trivia
Masters Productions of Atlan-
ta and Mutual Telecommuni-
cations Network of Tampa
have recently been linked to
scandal in these companies'
home towns, as well as cities in
Louisiana, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Ohio, Maine, and Washington,
Both the Associated Press and
the computer press have filed
reports indicating that these
companies may be taking ad-
vantage of both the local PC
operators they hire and the
general public.

The telemarketing plan
works like this: Mutual Telecom
munications places ads in
local newspapers and com
puter magazines, offer-
ing up to $300 a week to
PC owners who are will-
ing to let their computers
be used for 1 2 hours a day,
7 days a week. In order to be
used for telemarketing, the
computers need some special
hardware and software (both
provided by Mutual), for
which the owners are required
to pay a $600 deposit.

When the system is set up.
each PC owner, called a SYOP
by Mutual spends about two
hours a day doing house-
keeping on his or her system so
it can tirelessly make local calls.

When someone answers a
call from the computer, they're
asked several prerecorded triv-
ia questions. Consumers an-
swer these questions by
pressing buttons on their tele-
phones. If they answer correct-
ly, they're told they must pay
to play at the next higher level
to get a chance at the ultimate
grand prize— S 1 00,000. Con-
sumer groups, local Better
Business Bureaus, and at least
one state attorney general's of-
fice are investigating this
operation.

According to the Atlanta
Belter Business Bureau, the
president of Trivia Masters
Productions, James Ray Hous-
ton, has been involved in three
other businesses that are no
longer in operation, two of
which had legal problems.
They arc advising consumers
to exercise "normal economic
precautions" when dealing
with Trivia Masters.

COMPUTE! contacted
Mr. Houston to clarifv these

chaises; we discovered that he

started both businesses: Mutu-
al Telecommunications, which
contracts local PC users to
make calls, and Trivia Mas-
ters, which uses Mutual's net-
work to contact consumers
and gel them to pay to play the
trivia game.

''Our problem was that we
started this thing by calling
people randomly." said Hous-
ton. "We wanted to contact as
many people as possible, and
this was what upset everyone.
People didn't understand that
they had to pay to play, and
they got mad,"

According to Houston,
Trivia Masters will no longer
call people at random. Instead,
the company plans to contact
probable players in a mail-
ing— players will be told they
must pay to play and that they
must send in their money
before they can play. Long-
range plans include having a
cable television station display
the computer/player interac-
tion on games that reach high-
stakes levels.

Bui since Trivia Masters
has suspended operations, and
local PC SYOPs are not being
payed for their efforts, the fu-
ture of this telemarketing
scheme seems uncertain. Mr,
Houston is optimistic, however,
saying, "We may have started
out in the wrong way, but we're
on the right track now."

— Clifton Karnes Q

MAY 1988 91

Levitations Will

Uncover Proof

That the

Strange Lines

on the Plains

of Peru Are the

Work of Alien

Software

continued from page 94

to primaries and pioneered the eady fron-
tiers of "nerdness." Programming became
akin to mathematical break dancing, and as
far as we were concerned, an elegant piece of
code was as much a thing of beauty as any of
the iambic pentameter that was being dished
out in English Lit.

Ahhough we never quite moved into
the two-pocket shirt with dual plastic pock-
et-protector mode, most students, including
our old buddies, began to avoid us. The
briefcase, cheerleader, and bookworm
cliques kept their distance from us in the
school cafeteria, preferring instead to sit at
tables whose occupants concentrated on dip-
ping the ends of straws into gravy and then
shooting the wrappers up to stick on the ceil-
ing. The few who were curious about the
strange hieroglyphic flowcharts we scribed
into our table's surface were recruited into
our ranks.

The hook was set at the end of the
semester by a visit to Wayne State Universi-
ty's computer center where we came face-to-
teletype with the beast that had occupied
most of our free time for some five months.
It was an IBM 1400 series with an astound-
ing 64K of memory, and watching it actually
read punched cards and spew out our print-
outs made as deep an impression on us as a
pilgrimage to Mecca,

After that, it was on to Michigan State
University, which had just purchased a
multimillion dollar mainfmme with a whop-
ping 5 1 2K of memory. Since the Engineering
department owned the computer, anyone
who wanted to take computer courses was
an Engineering Sciences major. Computer
Science, as a distinct discipline, did not ex-
ist. Electronic calculators that did simple
arithmetic cost hundreds of dollars.

The electrical and structural engineers
wore massive Keufel & Esser slide rules on
their belts. The real heavies looked like gun-
slingers from ''Gun smoke,'" their weapons
housed in polished leather holsters worn low
on their hips, secured by a leather thong tied
just above the knee to allow unencumbered
quick draws in case they were confronted by
hostile algorithms when rounding blind
corners.

Politics led me to stray from the engi-
neering fold. It was the late Sixties, and the
unfolding of ''flower power" and its atten-
dant political consciousness ran headlong
into the apolitical stance of most of my En-
gineering school associates. I eventually
found refuge in Philosophy, where I could
gain computer access in the department's
advanced logic courses, and where mixing
ethics with your work was expected rather
than discouraged.

I spent 1 5 years after school paying my
data processing dues. I've looked at comput-
ers through the eyes of a user, operator, pro-
grammer, and systems analyst. I've worked
for large corporations, small businesses,
public utilities, and the government. I've
watched my buddies boot up their I MSA Is,
KIMs, and SOLs as well as PCs, STs, Macs,
and Amigas. Through it all, the one thing
that has helped make the most sense out of
this crazy business is a sense of humor,

"Levitations" is about people. There's
nothing inherently wonderful about com-
puters themselves. The folks who have cre-
ated them and work with them are far more
interesting than any electronic component
or program. The designers, executives, PR
flacks, and media folks whose collective ac-
tions comprise what we glibly call the "com-
puter industry'' are the grist for this
column's mill.

"Levitations" doesn't have a fixed for-
mat. Sometimes it will report and inform.
Other limes it will attempt to educate or edi-
torialize. We'll uncover the darkest myster-
ies of computing: Did you know that disk
sleeves have the ability to teleport across
space and time? How else can one explain
the fact there arc always either too few or
too many of them lying around computer
desks? We'll find proof positive that strange
patterns on the plains of Peru were created
by extraterrestrial draw programs, and that
most of today's computer salespersons arc
the demon spawn of ancient alien program-
mers and used chariot dealers.

We're all Bozos on this data bus, folks,
yours truly included. Take off your digital
wingtips, lean back, and enjoy the ride. In the
months to come, we'll be stopping at various
computer trade shows across the country for
late-breaking faux pas and in-<ieplh analysis of
press conference cuisine. We'll attend Micro-
soft's upcoming CD ROM conference, includ-
ing a live report on how far you can frisbee a
CD ROM from the top of the Seattle Space
Needle. The Computer Dealers Exposition
and Consumer Electronics Shows will take us
to the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker in
Chirago and the neon wasteland of Las Vegas,
punctuated with live satellite reports from the
trenches of computer- war battle zones. As my
editor has long suspected, I usually don't
know what a column will be about until the
day after deadline. If there are any stops you
would like added to our tour itinerary, feel
free to contact me via U.S. Snail, care of
COMPUTE!, or via electronic mail on one of
these services:
CompuServe: 70675,463
Delphi: ARLANL
GEnie:XMG 15546 H

Software discounters
OF America ...„..: ..

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PA Orders- 1-800-223-7784
Customer Service 412-361-5291

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No Surcharge for VISA/MasterCard
Your card is not charged until we ship

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cruise Venice in
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World Class

Leader Board $29

ACCOLADE

Ace of Ace* $24

Bubble Ghost $21

Hardball $24

Mean ia Golf ....... $29

Mean 18 Famous
Course Disks #3 & 4 $23

Mini-Pult $24

Pinball Wizard , $21

Te5t Drive $24

ACTiViSlON

Black lack Academy . .$24

Hacker $9.88

Hacker 2 $9.88

tail Ninja ...... $26

Might and Magic $32

Postcards. $16

Rampage ........... $24

Shanghai . , , .$23

Term Paper Wrfter .. .$32
ARTWORX

Bridge S.O ..$19

Strip Poker . $25

Data Disk *1 Female .$14
Data Disk *2 Male .. .$14
Data Disk #3 Female .$14
Linkword Languages:

French $19

Cemtan $19

Spanish $19

AVANTAGE

Project Space Stalion$9.B8

SOX OFFICE

Alf's First Adventure $9.88

High Rollers. $9.88

$100,000 Pyramid ..$9.88
BRODER8UND
Ancient Art of War.. .$27
Ancient Art of

War at Sea '$27

Bank St. Writer Plus.. $49
Carmen San Diego

Europe $29

USA $29

World.. $25

Karateka $21

Loderunner ......... $23

Memory Mate $44

Prim Shop. . $36

P.S. Companion .... .$32
P.S, Graphics
Library #1 or #2 $21 Fa.

Toy Shop $32

CENTRAL POtNT

Copy 2 ..$23

PC Option Board .. . .$69

PC Tools Deluxe. ... .$47

DAC

Dae Easy Accounting 2.D$65

Dae Easy Payroll 2.0 .$44

DATA EAST

Commando ......... $24

Ekari Warriors . $24

Tag Team Wrestling , . $24
DAVIDSON

Algeblasler . ..$30

Grammar Gremlins. . .$30

Homeworker $54

Math & Mp ....$24

Math BLisler Plus $30

Spell it $30

Word Attack $30

Now you can
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Software Classic Series:
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Lords of Conquest . . . $9.88
One«n-One ....... $9.88

Pintiall Const. Set . . .$9.88
St'vt-n Cities Cold . . . $9.88
Super Boulder Dash . $9.88
ELECTRONIC ARTS
Alien Fires .,,,....., $23

Arctic Fox .......... $23

Bard's Tale $32

Che^smaster 2000 .... $26
Chuck Yeager's AFT... $26

Deluxe Paint 2 $65

EaH Weaver Baseball .. $26

Empire $32

Hunt for Red October $32
instant Pages ........ $32

Ljfe& Death $29

Marble Madness .....$23
Maxx Yoke Adapter . , $99

Metropolis $26

Patton vs. RomnKil .... $26
Pegasus $26

Print Power $9.88

The Computer Club . $9.88
INFOCOM

Beyond Zork , $32

Hitchhikers Guide . . $9.88

InfocomJcs Gall

Leather Goddesses . . . $24

StatJonfalt $24

The Lurking, hlorror . . $24

Zork 1 . $9.88

Zork Trilogy $32

LEARNING COMPANY

Math Rabbit $24

Reader Rabbit $24

ThinkQuick!. . . .$32

Writer Rabbit $32

MECA

Andrew Tobias: Managing
Your Money... ...$139

Financial Calculator . .$29
MICRQPQSE

F-15 Strike Eagle $21

Gunship .$32

Pirate* .$2S

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List $39.95
Our Discount Price $24

Pub Games $23

Rockford $26

Scrabble $26

Starfleet 2 $35

Starflight ... .... $32

Twilights RanMxn ..... $23
EPYX

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Create A Calendar $19

Destroyer $24

4x4 Off Road Racing . . $24
L.A. Crackdown ...... $24

Print Magic $39

The Gamei;

Winter Edition .Call

Spy vs. Spy 3; Arttic Artks$16
Street Sports Basketball$24
Sub Battle Simulator , . $24
Summer Games 2 ... .$14

Winter Games .$14

World Games $24

GAMESTAR

Champ. Baseball $24

Champ. Basketball ... $24
CFLCh. Football . .$24
Star Rank Boating 2 ... $24
HI-TECH EXPRESSIONS
Award Ware . .$9.88

Silent Service $21

MINDSCAPE

Balance of Power .... $32

Bop & Wrestle ..$19

Breaking Ground Zero $24
Color Me: The Computer

Coloring Kit $24

Crossword Magic .... $30
Defender oHhe Crown$24

De la Vu $24

Gauntlet $24

Harrier Combat Sim. .$23
indoor Sports ...... .$19

Infiltrator 2 .$19

Into the Eagle's Nest. .$23

S.O.l..... ..$24

Super Star Ice Hockey $24
Super Star Soccer . . . .$24
ORIGIN

Moebius $39

Ultima 1 or 3 $25 Ea.

Ultima 4 S39

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Family Feud $8.88

jeopardy . . $8.88

Jeopardy Jr. ...... .$8.88

Wheel of Fortune . . $8.88
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King's Quest

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Leisure Suit Larry $24

Mother Goose.. $19

Police Quest $32

Smart Money $49

Space Quest 1 or 7$32 Ea.
3-D Helicopter Sim. ..$32

Thexdcr . . . . . $23

SIMON & SCHUSTER

Typing Tutor 4 $32

SIR TECH

Deep Space $24

Wizard ry Series:
Knight of Diamonds $32
Legacy of Lylgamin . $32
Proving Ground . . . ,$32
SOFTWARE
SIMUUTIONS

Pure Stat Baseball $24

Pure Stat College

Basketball $24

SPECTRUM HQLOBVTE

Falcon $32

Cato $9.88

Solitaire Royale $23

Tetris: The Russian

Challenge . $23

SPINNAKER

Backgammon .$14

Eight in One $39

Kindercomp Gold . . . .$24
One Minute Manager . $6S

Running Start $24

T-Shirt Shop ........$30

SPRINGBOARD
Certijicate Maker $24

CM. Library #1 $19

Early Games $21

Easy as A8C $24

Newsroom Pro $49

N.R. dip Art #1 or #3$19 Ea,

N.R. Clip Art #2 .$24

SSI

Gettysburg .$36

Kampfgruppe $36

Phantasie 1. 2, or 3$24 Ea.
Realms of Darkness . , $24

Rings of Zllfin $24

Roadwar Europa $24

Roadwar 2000 ...... $24

Shard of Spring ...... $24

Wiiard's Crown .....$24

THREE SIXTY

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THUNDER MOUNTAIN

PacMan $«.88

Top Gun . $6.88

TIMEWORKS

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Evelyn Wood Reader .$25

Partner ..$25

Swiftcalc w/Sideways .$25
Sylvia Porter's Financial

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Word Writer $32

UNISON WORLD
Fonts & Borders .... $23
Newsmaster . . . . $59

Printmaster Plus ..... $36
Art Gallery 1 or 2 $19 Ea.
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Stickybear Numbers . .$23
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'Please Read The Following Ordering Terms & CorHJitions Carefully Before Placing Your Order: Orders with cashiers check or ntoney order shipped immediately on in stock items! Persi^nal
& Company checks, allow 3 weeks clearance. No CO.D.'s! Shipping: Continental U.S.A.-Orders under $100 add $3; free shipping on orders over $100. AK, HI, FPO, APO-add $S on
all orders. Canada & Puerto Rico-add $10 on all orders. Sorry, no other International orders accepted! PA residents add 6% sales tax on the total amount oi order including shipping
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daily! Please call for more Information.

ARLAN LEVITAN

In Which Our

Resident

Free- Form

Columnist

Reports on the

Funny, the

Odd, and the

Outrageous

Welcome to "Leviiaiions"! Al-
though Vm new to the back of the
bus, those who have been regular
readers of COMPUTE! may have stumbled
over my musings before (see Hitchhikers
Guide to COMPUTE! — "Telecomputing
Today," 1984-1988). There arc a lot of ad-
vantages to being on the back page. It's a lot
easier to remove without damaging the rest
of the magazine, which makes it a snap to
use my stuff for wrapping fish or blotting up
messy kitchen spills.

Since this is the first ''Levitations/' my
editor suggested that I take a little time in-
troducing myself. Since he signs the checks,
Fve decided to go along with the request, al-
though ril try to make him regret it.

Vm a mild-mannered senior systems
engineer for a major metropolitan main-
frame manufacmrer, dedicated to fighting a
never-ending battle for truth Justice, and
the right to giggle hysterically at ourselves.

In the early 1980's, I was crazy enough
to buy a 48K Atari 800 with disk drive for a
little over two thousand bucks, and I helped
start up the MACE Atari user group, which
at last report is still alive and well. Anyone
who has edited a user group newsletter inev-
itably ends up writing a lot of material to fill
the empty spaces. I suppose 1 got fairly good
at it, since people I had never met from
strange and exotic places such as Pcterboro,
New Hampshire, and Greensboro, North
Carolina started actually paying me money
to do it.

My wife, Grelchen, is a MacManiac
and works on microcomputer-based, speak-
er-independent voice-recognition systems
for a public utility. My four-year-old daugh-
ter, Mira, likes to play with the Atari 800 she
inherited from me but still prefers the tactile
feedback of a genuine crayola on paper to a
light pen on screen. Tobias, our one-and-a-
half-year-old, hasn't professed any prefer-
ences for a specific computer. He seems
equally adept at drooling into the keyboard
of any of our five machines and seems in-
tent on figuring out how to gel my CD-
ROM player to load and read Lego blocks.

Although our environs are relatively se-
date, theyVe far from quiet. We live just
north of the Detroit Zoo. Late nights are oc-
casionally punctuated with lion roars, ele-
phant blasts, and raucous bands of roving
penguins, which serve to remind the neigh-
borhood that, after all, it is a jungle out there.

Vm essentially binary^ in my mode of
dress. Unhke other computer columnists, 1

don*t wear white linen suits or paramilitary
garb to business or social functions. My for-
mal uniform consists of a number of nearly
identical dark pinstripe suits and the morn-
ing excitement consists of deciding whether
the white shirt 111 wear will have a regular or
button-down collar.

When less formal corporate functions
require "business casuaF' (sport shirt from an
acceptable golf or countrv' club, and slacks),
Fm a dead man. My definition of casual is
T-shirt and jeans, with an occasional flannel
or Hawaiian shirt thrown in for special occa-
sions. Fm still tr>'ing to live down the 1972
wedding of a friend at which I ushered in a
black tuxedo with tails tastefully accented by
a pair of red, while, and blue platform lennies
with lightning bolls on the sides.

At the over-the-hill-age of 38, I've been
mucking about with computers for about 22
years. It all started innocently enough in
high school. After a few minor explosions
that destroyed a couple hundred dollars
worth of lab equipment in chemistry; some
counselor decided that the school would be
a heck of a lot safer if I were placed in an ex-
perimental program. While the chemistry
department had definite opinions on what
they would like the experiment to be, it in-
stead turned out to be the first computer
class offered in a high school in Michigan.

The instructor selected for Computer
Programming 101 was Kate Pankin, a
chain-smoking mathematics teacher who
the Marines had used for breaking in drill
instructors on Parris Island.

There was no middle ground when it
came to Ms. Pankin. You might hale or fear
her, but you had lo respect her intensity. In
the world according to Pankin, books were
sacrosanct, and were not to be defiled by
pen or pencil. If Kate Pankin caught you un-
derlining or doodling in the margins of a
book during class, the offending writing im-
plement was whisked out of your hand,
snapped in two in front of the class, fol-
lowed by a stream of erudite vitriol that laid
the decline of Western civilization directly
at your feet. Fm not sure where Ms. Pankin
is now, although there were rumors floating
around at my 20-ycar high school reunion
that she had suffered a debilitating stroke
when the invention of high-lighter magic
markers was announced.

Although most of the miscreants in CP-
101 had been tossed out of every French,
Spanish, and German class in school, we
took to learning FORTR.A.N like politicians

(ontmutd on page 92

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Sensational combat flight simulation gives new
leaning to the concept of dogfights in space.
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Available now on Atari ST,
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Rainbird and Rainbird Logo arc registered trademarks
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Atari ST® Atari Corporation,

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THE TOUCH

OF A PIANO,

THE SOUNDS OF

16 INSTRUMENTS,

THE MIND
OF A COMPUTER

^i^- ^

Pull Up a bench and sit down.
To our extraordinary Yamaha
Clavinova*^ CVP-series digital

keyboards.

Encased in handsome, com-
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An 88-key- touch-sensitive
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Plus the full, rich sound of
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\bu 11 also find MIDI
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Record and
playback on our
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Guide lamps to
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Optional head-
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And prices start-
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Yamaha dealer today

You'll find the Clavinova key-
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genius it doesn t take a genius to
master.

FREE DEMOTAPE.

For a free demo casso uc o\ our Clavinova keyboards,
return this eoupon. or call us on our toll-free 8(X) number.
l.8(K)-453.9<)(M)

Name „

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City-
Phon*

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CORPORATION. USA

PO. Box 2i^^70

Santa Ana. CA 92799-8570

-State-

-Zip_

t)YAMAHA

Into the future;

C l^iifi. Vamiihu Music CorfKinitian. USA

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